


Buyers, Funds and Irony

by Willa Shakespeare (AnonEhouse)



Category: Blake's 7, Farscape
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Crossover, Fusion, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-14
Packaged: 2017-12-11 20:54:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/803177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonEhouse/pseuds/Willa%20Shakespeare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a fusion of the plot of the three part Farscape episodes that made up 'Liars, Guns and Money' with Blake's 7. Blake's 7 characters assumed the places of Farscapers very naturally as well. The only completely Farscape character is Stark.</p><p>Stark goes to the Liberator crew for help, telling them Blake was also a prisoner. Avon and the crew go after Blake, with partial success and a lot more failure. Things spiral out of control with problems at every turn, unreliable allies, vicious enemies, and disasters abundantly heaped on their plates. Many plot elements from various Blake's 7 episodes slotted in beautifully with the Farscape plot. It's as if Fate wanted this fic to exist.</p><p>I hope you enjoy it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Buyers, Funds and Irony

(If you are reading this on any PAY site this is a STOLEN WORK, the author has NOT Given Permission for it to be here. If you're paying to read it, you're being cheated too because you can read it on Archiveofourown for FREE.)

Tarrant said, "How do we approve of something we don't know about?" 

Cally, Vila and Dayna had followed him to the flight deck, curious to see what would happen between an annoyed Tarrant and a sleep-deprived Avon. As Vila had said before they left the teleport chamber, "If it wasn't free, you'd pay to see it."

Avon replied, "You could try trust..."

Zen interrupted Avon, "Information. A distress call is being received."

Avon said, "Ignore it. I have a more pressing priority, getting to my destination at the precise time."

"Zen! Put the coordinates at my flight deck console." Tarrant told Avon, "Don't worry about your precious time-table. I'll take the Federation ship we've been carrying since the Andromedan War and rendezvous with them."

Dayna looked at Avon and then Tarrant. "I'll go with you."

"And I," Cally said quietly.

Vila gulped as all eyes turned to him. "Well... I don't want to go through any charged fluid particles."

Avon ignored the others and spoke to Tarrant. "Don't be a fool."

"I may be a fool, Avon, but I'm not letting a distress call go unanswered. Why do you care? You don't need any of us, do you?"

Avon snarled something under his breath and turned aside. "If I'm late, Tarrant..." He waved at Zen. "Zen, put the information on that distress call on the main monitor."

A face appeared, oddly distorted by glowing light seeping out of the rags covering the right side of his face. "I found you! He was right! You're on his side, my side now. Your side, my side!"

"He's madder than Meegat," Vila remarked.

"An alien." Avon scowled. "Haven't we had our fill of rescuing homicidal aliens?"

"Have we, indeed?" Cally remarked. 

"He didn't mean you, Cally, I'm sure," Dayna said hurriedly, but Cally's expression indicated she wasn't too sure about that.

Avon turned his back on the viewscreen. "If you're going ahead with your heroic rescue, get on with it, Tarrant. Zen! You will allow Tarrant to intercept that 'vessel in distress' and then immediately return to the course I've set, making whatever corrections are necessary to ensure we arrive at the meet-point at the time specified." Avon stalked off the flight deck. 

Tarrant didn't waste time complaining about Avon, but piloted _Liberator_ towards the small ship. "Cally, what can you tell me about that man?"

Cally frowned. "Not very much. I have an impression of... great confusion."

"Mad," Vila muttered to himself, hands hovering over the Neutron Blaster controls. "Maybe Avon has it right, this time."

"Oh, come on, Vila," Dayna said. "I've run a long-range scan. Whatever he is, he's alone, and hurt...probably dying. What harm can he do to us?"

Cally carefully didn't mention Ensor's son, who had held her at gunpoint and forced Blake to leave the others stranded on Cephlon to absorb a lethal dose of radiation, but her expression did become more thoughtful. She took a gun with her once Tarrant had finished the delicate maneuver enabling the damaged ship to float into _Liberator's_ hold. "Vila, come with me. Tarrant, stay alert."

"Why me?" Vila protested.

"Yes, why him?" Dayna got a gun. "I'd like to meet this alien."

"He doesn't look well enough to walk and I don't think you can carry him, Dayna. I'd rather he didn't die before we could talk to him."

Dayna pouted, and considered pointing out that she'd managed to carry Avon to her cave all by herself, but decided against it, because Avon would be even sulkier if he knew she'd told.

Vila looked even unhappier at the thought of carrying a possibly dying alien.

Tarrant straightened from the controls. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

Cally shook her head. "We don't know what Avon was doing. Maybe this is a trap. I'd rather you were here."

Tarrant looked sourly at the controls. "Unless we can break Avon's lock on Zen, I'm fairly useless here."

"You can keep watch on Avon if he comes back to the flight deck. He is behaving irrationally."

"Thank you, Cally, yes, I _had_ noticed."

***

Reluctantly, Vila hauled the injured alien off the damaged ship. The alien gave Cally an unnerving grin and cried out, "Cally!" Vila nearly dropped him.

Cally's eyes narrowed. "How do you know my name?"

"He told me! Yes, yes, it was him... wasn't it him?" The alien looked even more confused and tapped the side of his head. "My side, his side? Blake told me!"

"Blake!" Vila exclaimed and came close to dropping the alien a second time. "You've seen Blake! How is he?"

"Dead. No, not dead. He was dead, but he's not dead." 

Cally waved at Vila. "We need to get him to the medical unit. He's obviously delirious."

"No, I'm not! NOT, not, not!" With an obvious effort the alien calmed. "My name is Stark. I'm a Stykera." 

"Very nice for you, I'm sure," Vila said. "Can you move your feet a bit and help out here?"

Stark rolled his eye. "My people are slaves! Blake tried to free us, and the slavers took him, too! But we can save them all, save Blake. Yes, yes! I have a plan! See, see!" He held up a data-cube.

***

In the medical unit, Cally and the machines examined Stark. "There are signs of severe stress."

"I was dead." Stark blinked at Cally. "Do you have any leather?"

Vila smiled. "You should be asking Avon that."

"Yes, yes!" Stark tried to sit up, but Cally pushed him flat. "Blake told me, he said, 'talk to Avon'!" Stark turned to Vila. "I need a mask." He waved at the glowing side of his face, only partly obscured by a dirty rag. "I'm... leaking energy."

"Get him a mask, Vila."

Vila dithered. "Should I leave you alone with him?"

Cally snapped the restraint field on over Stark's treatment bed. "Go on, Vila." Stark looked up pleadingly at Cally. She frowned and went to the wall-com. "Avon, this is Cally in the medical-unit. I really think you ought to hear what our alien has to say." She paused and added dryly. "Our new alien, that is."

***

Avon appeared a few minutes later. He stared at Stark, who was adjusting the mask Vila had found for him in the wardrobe room. "Whatever you have to say, say it quickly."

Stark said, rapidly, "Blake needs you. He's on Domo being held by slavers."

Vila said, "I told you he was still alive!"

"Quiet, Vila." Avon studied Stark. "I don't know what your game is, but the only thing you have right is that Blake is alive. We're going to collect him right now. Domo has nothing to do with him."

Stark shook his head. "I was there! He died, in my arms!"

Avon's face pinched.

Stark went on to say, "I'm a Stykera! I tried to help him cross over, but he wasn't ready, he wouldn't go! He's alive, but he's hurt. He... he said... 'Avon, for what it is worth, I have always trusted you, from the very beginning'." Stark grinned at Avon's reaction. "I have a plan! Blake is being sold along with ten thousand of my people. This is the blueprint for a Shadow depository!" He held out the data-cube.

Vila's mouth dropped. "What, you mean like a bank?"

Stark nodded. "Yes."

"We're going to rob a bank?"

"Yes!"

Vila grinned.

Cally looked shocked. " Steal other people's currency to help ourselves? We - We cannot do that, I can't."

Vila said, " "Of course you can. I'd help you."

Stark said, "Cally, it's not a normal depository. It's one the Shadow cartel uses to hide the money they've made from crime."

"Wait!" Vila said, "I thought you meant shadow like 'sneaky'... you mean the _Shadow_ dealers? You're talking about stealing from the Terra Nostra! You _are_ crazy! Do you have any idea what kind of security they've got?"

Stark nodded. "Yes, but with that information," he said, nodding at the data-cube Avon was holding, "I can control the internal depository door motion detectors. And these... These are a complete set of blueprints-vault layout, everything. In one container is enough wealth to buy the entire shipment of slaves-- and still have enough left over to make all of us filthy rich forever!"

Avon blinked and looked at the data-cube again, and then at Stark. "I don't imagine these plans were left lying about. How did you get them?"

Stark said, "I helped the deposit designer cross over to death. His last thoughts led me to these. They're genuine."

Cally said softly, "Did you kill him?"

"Not exactly."

Avon laughed. "Did the designer have enough time to explain to you how much firepower is actually inside this depository?"

Stark admitted, "Not... Not precisely." 

"Oh, that's comforting." Avon turned on his heel. "We're going ahead with the original plan."

***

Avon walked onto the flight deck to find Dayna and Tarrant discussing a cloud of energy-charged fluid particles ahead. "We stay on course," Avon said. Tarrant began to argue, until Avon's gun muzzle dug into his midriff. "Nothing and nobody is going to stop it, you least of all. Now get out of my way and..."

 

Tarrant swallowed and carefully turned his head to look at the navigation console, drawing Avon's attention to it. "Regardless of any damage it might cause, the turbulence will slow us down, Avon. It might even be faster to go around. Our little detour has put us near the edge of the cloud."

Avon hesitated. "Zen, confirm Tarrant's hypothesis."

"Confirmed."

Avon withdrew the gun, and bared his teeth at Tarrant. "Zen, detour around the cloud. Make absolutely certain that the rendezvous will be met as scheduled!"

***

"Blake can't be down there!" Stark had managed to convince Cally that he wasn't a threat, and he'd been allowed to leave the medical unit and accompany the others to the teleport chamber for Avon's promised 'telling what you need to know'.

"At least let us come down with you," Dayna said. "Blake wouldn't mind, surely."

"It was fairly obvious from the messages that Blake is not..." Avon produced a false smile, "in charge, for once."

Tarrant burst in with, "If you think he's a prisoner, all the more reason not to go in alone!"

Avon glanced at Tarrant. "I'll call in every hour on the hour. If I miss one transmission, get out of here."

Cally said, "What? You mean, abandon you?"

Avon replied, "That is precisely what I mean. I don't need any of you. I needed the _Liberator_ to bring me here, so I had no choice but to bring you along, but this is as far as you go."

Stark said, "Blake went down to a planet by himself 'to think'. It was a mistake."

Vila cleared his throat. "Look Avon, at least you could swallow a tracer."

"Why? So you can drop a memorial plaque on the spot where it ceases transmission?" Avon shook his head. "I don't want you with me. I don't want you following me. Understand this: anyone who does follow me, I'll kill them. All right, Dayna."

After Dayna reluctantly teleported Avon, Tarrant and Cally followed him down at a distance.

Vila stayed on watch at the teleport, while Dayna and Stark went to the flight deck.

"You know Avon's wrong, don't you?" Stark said as he looked at the scanners that Dayna had set to investigate the planet.  
   
"Yes, of course, but you don't get anywhere arguing with him." Dayna peered at the readout. "Energy source... might be leakage from a power plant for a good-size base." She gave Cally the coordinates and frowned. "I don't like it."

"You can't argue with Avon." Stark nodded. "Fine. But he's _wrong._ " Stark looked upset. "And if he gets killed it'll be that much harder to rescue my people." As an afterthought, "And Blake won't be happy. He _likes_ Avon." Stark looked totally bemused by that. "Did I tell you, I think Blake's not quite sane?"

"No, you hadn't." Dayna's frown deepened. "Come on, tell me all about Blake and your people. I'll go crazy myself, if I don't have something to think about."

***

Thanks to the coordinates Dayna gave them, Cally and Tarrant arrived at the underground base ahead of Avon. They watched from hiding as he entered, then approached it. "Damn. Electrostatic lock. It needs a sonal key."

"Or someone who can open it without the key."

***

Vila was decidedly not thrilled. "Beautiful downtown Terminal... did I tell you I hate the name of this planet?" He muttered, but he worked on the lock.

"What is that!" Tarrant shot something black, furry and homicidal.

Vila had the door open and was three feet down the shaft before Cally could shoot the second of the creatures. 

"Why would Blake be here?" Vila looked around nervously. "I mean, there's no rebels, no Federation, no nothing here."

"Good question, Vila." Tarrant went cautiously around a corner, then hastily backed up, pushing Vila behind him. "Quiet!" he said as Vila started to protest. "It's Servalan."

Cally hesitated, then ducked into hiding with Tarrant and Vila. Servalan had several armed escorts with her, but that wasn't what had held Cally back. "Avon. She must have him."

"And Blake?" Vila whispered.

Cally shook her head. "I believe Stark is right. Blake was never here. Servalan found out that Avon was searching for him, and used his name as bait to catch Avon."

"No, not Avon. She wants _Liberator."_ Tarrant's eyes narrowed. "Cally, would he trade _Liberator_ for Blake?"

"Once I would have said 'never', but now..." Cally shook her head. "I'm not sure."

"That tears it. We've got to find Avon and get out of here, whether he likes it or not."

"It's a big base," Vila protested.

"Servalan will know where he is," Cally said quietly.

"Yes, but will she tell you?"

Cally looked at Vila steadily. "Yes."

***

One look at Cally's eyes was enough. Well, perhaps the fact that Cally was calmly retrieving her knife from the back of one of Servalan's elite bodyguards at the time might have influenced Servalan's hasty statement, "If you kill me, you'll never get Avon back."

Cally replied quietly. "That is the only reason you are still alive."

***

Avon responded to the injection Servalan's 'doctor' gave him, opening his eyes and looking around in confusion. "Blake?"

"He's not here, Avon," Cally said in a sympathetic tone.

"He never was," Vila added. 

Avon got up from the 'treatment table', ignoring all of them and headed for Servalan. "I saw him... I spoke to him."

For once, Servalan allowed her sadism to overrule her common sense. "You saw nothing. Heard nothing. It was a drug-induced and electronic dream. Blake is dead. He died from his wounds on the planet Jevron more than a year ago. I saw his body. I saw it cremated. Blake is dead."

Avon moved even closer to Servalan, his eyes... no one wanted to look at his eyes. He put his hands around Servalan's neck and squeezed while she coughed and flailed at him with her nails and tried to speak. He moved his head enough to keep her nails out of his eyes, but otherwise ignored the damage she inflicted on him.

"Avon! Stop it!" Tarrant's gun moved to cover Avon as well as Servalan's guards. "Avon, I mean it."

Avon glanced at Tarrant, but didn't let up on Servalan, slowly increasing the pressure on her slender throat as her eyes went wide and frantic. "Your brother died because of her." Avon's eyes flickered over to Cally, who was standing, silently watching, keeping her gun trained on the guards. "She murdered Cally's people. She deserves to die."

"Yes, but Avon, not like this, this isn't justice!" Tarrant protested.

"Isn't it?" Avon's thumbs pressed harder, and Servalan's tongue protruded. 

Vila said quietly, "I think I'm going to be sick."

Cally said, "It won't bring any of the dead back, Avon." She touched him on the shoulder. "And it wouldn't please Blake to know you'd stooped to her level."

"Blake is dead." Avon looked almost lovingly into Servalan's glazing eyes.

"But he's not!" Vila put in. "Stark said so, remember!"

Avon blinked. "Stark?" He dropped Servalan's limp body to the floor. "Yes. Give me a bracelet."

***

Avon gazed at the Shadow repository satellite, floating innocently enough on the main monitor. "We're going to have to go there and have a look for ourselves." _Liberator_ was shielded, so no one knew they were there, not even the massed ranks of black, heavily armed, ships in orbit. 

Dayna protested, "That would be suicide, Avon."

 "It's the only way to get Blake."

Tarrant shook his head. "Wait. I know this is important. I know you want to do this-- but it's not possible. It's shielded for one thing, we can't just teleport in."

Avon looked coldly at Tarrant.

"I just don't see how we..."

"We'll go without you. We'll go without all three of you. Cally, it's just you, me and Stark."

Cally replied, "Yes, of course, Avon, but possibly we should..."

Avon showed his teeth. "Are you against me on this, too?"

"No, no, I am with you. It's..."

"I'm going. Whether or not anyone accompanies me is totally immaterial." Avon stalked off the flight deck.

***

Blake dragged Neebrox away from the opening in the cell door. He whispered, "Travis!"

Neebrox glanced out of the opening at a short blonde man talking to Verlis. He sighed. "That's not Travis. You're having visions again."

Blake looked at Neebrox, then glanced out the opening. "Sorry," he muttered, on seeing the man Verlis was talking with.

"Rest, Blake, just rest." Neebrox patted at Blake and urged him back to lie down on the thin mattress, taking up a clean cloth to gently wipe at the wound on Blake's face.

***

"How could he go?" Tarrant said as he entered the flight deck in response to Cally's call. All the others were gathered there, watching the Shadow satellite on the monitor.

"He took Klegg's ship," Cally replied.

Tarrant sighed. "Yes, of course, it's still got Federation markings."

"And the Shadow cartel is run by the President of the Federation," Vila added gloomily. "So they'll let him _in._ "

Dayna said, "What do we do now?"

Tarrant frowned. "I can call them and ask for a shuttle, tell them _Liberator's_ an experimental craft, and I'm a wealthy customer."

"They'd have to be crazy to believe that!" Vila protested.

"Probably! But they'll be curious to know what I'm really after - and greedy once they see _Liberator._ And you'll have the guns trained on them, so they'll be reasonably polite."

"I'm going with you," Dayna said firmly. She plastered herself against Tarrant's side, and put an adoring expression on her face. "What self-respecting tycoon hasn't got a beautiful mistress by his side?" 

Tarrant looked uncomfortable. Vila managed to keep a straight face. Stark just looked at all of them, and said nothing.

Cally nodded. "Yes, I would have gone, but you are a better choice this time, Dayna."

Vila turned to Stark. "Don't tell me this is part of your plan."

Stark nodded. " All right, I won't tell you." He continued fiddling with a hodge-podge of vaguely electronic things he'd set up on the flight deck table.

***

Dayna looked up as they neared the dock opening in the satellite. "That's big."

Tarrant agreed. "That's very big."

After the shuttle docked, they were led to the central reception area. There were humans and aliens in an eclectic mix scattered among the employees and guards. Avon was off to one side in the distance, apparently attempting to look inconspicuous in brown corduroy.

Dayna spotted him and started towards him. 

Tarrant saw someone else. A man in black leather, wearing an eye patch over his left eye was talking to Servalan. Tarrant recognized her from the back and pulled Dayna behind a convenient pillar just as she noticed Servalan. Dayna squirmed and whispered fiercely, "I can get her!"

"We're here to get _Avon._ " 

Dayna reluctantly subsided, moments before alarms began. They whirled, back-to-back, weapons drawn. Many guards surrounded them, weapons at the ready.

"Hand over your weapons... Slowly," one of the guards ordered.

Faced with impossible odds, they obeyed. The man with the eye patch approached them. Fortunately, Servalan was nowhere in sight. He asked, "What is your business here?" 

Tarrant said, "Good. Very, very good. You're in charge here?"

The man repeated, "What is your business?" 

Tarrant said, "This is a depository, right? We have something to deposit."

"What makes you think we'd be interested? 

"Have you ever heard of Kairopan?"

Avon took the opportunity of the distraction, and turned to a control panel, attempting to open a security door. 

Tarrant said, "Now... I have managed to procure all 11 secret codes...." He glanced at Avon over eye-patch's shoulder. "What we need to do now... is discuss the terms of-- "

"Security breach, portal five!"

Eye-patch whirled and pointed at Avon. "Guards! That man! Seize him!"

Tarrant said, "Oh, shit!"

It seemed as if every guard in the place mobilized to capture Avon. Tarrant bolted in that direction as well.  The guards reached Avon first as the door slid open. He fought and they beat him to the ground. Dayna and Tarrant could do nothing except watch.

Avon grinned up at the approaching one-eyed man. "I was told the security here was weak. I was right. The security here is garbage, Travis."

Travis knelt beside Avon, getting a fistful of hair. "Alphas. They're miserable lays, incompetent rebels, and basically inept, but this one... is intelligent. Or so they say."

One of the guards said, "Shall I execute him?"

"No. He also expects to be interrogated, don't you?"

Avon gasped out, "Kerr ... Avon."

"See? It's a dance. Let's not disappoint him."

Travis stood and two guards hauled Avon semi-upright between them, Avon managing a sneering laugh.

"You went to so much trouble to open that door, Avon. Be my guest." He nodded to a guard, who punched Avon in the gut. Avon groaned loudly and doubled over. He was marched away under heavy guard.

Tarrant turned to Dayna. "We have to go."

Dayna lingered for a moment, watching Travis, then followed Tarrant back to the shuttle.

***

Tarrant and Dayna entered the flight deck. Tarrant grabbed Stark by his shirt and drew back a fist. "You! You set Avon up! Avon is down there... because of you!"

Stark replied, "Look, you left him no choice! He had to, had to. It's the only way to save Blake. It's the plan!"

 Tarrant flung Stark away from him, toward Dayna. Dayna grabbed him and pushed him up against a bulkhead. "What plan?!," she asked, "What are you talking about?!"  
   
"The plan, the plan to get Avon back and to rob the depository."

Dayna said, "But you put the whole place on security alert!" She pulled him away from the wall. Tarrant grabbed him and flung him face first onto the flight deck table. Holding Stark's head immobile with one hand, he pressed one knee into Stark's back. 

"It's all part of the plan, you see?" Stark said, "Because Avon's breached the system they'll scramble their codes and while they're resetting their security codes I can link in and they'll never even know... "

Tarrant glanced up at Dayna to see if she believed Stark. 

"... but I have to work quickly." Stark said. He pulled away from Tarrant and backed away. Tarrant eyed him from across the room, still angry. "So you'll leave me alone! I've only got six arns before they reset their codes."

"Maybe I should reset your codes?" Tarrant grabbed Stark again, driving him back against the wall. "How the hell are we supposed to get Avon back?!" 

"Don't worry about a thing. I've got it all figured out. It's all part of the plan."

Dayna said, "You better have it all figured out. Avon bet his life on that." 

"No, he bet Blake's life on that," Stark said.  
   
Tarrant pressed Stark back hard against the wall, then released him abruptly. "You manipulated us."

"This plan... will work."

***

In Travis's quarters, Avon sat on the floor stripped to the waist, arms outstretched and secured to a very large wire 'sphere'. He grunted as his already heavily bruised chest was viciously kicked. 

The guard said, "He hasn't said a word."  
   
Travis replied, "He's an Alpha-- he'll die first. Which means all this pain has been for nothing as it will continue to be... but perhaps you like pain."

Avon gasped loudly as Travis twisted Avon's earlobe. "Is that it? I hope so." He took Avon's shoulder in his metal hand and began twisting as Avon screamed.

***

Vila sat in the golden chair as Dayna sprayed a golden 'paint' over his fully clothed body, tool kit stowed in a compartment in the base of the chair. He was sitting in the 'Thinker' pose, with a worried look on his face. "I've changed my mind. I don't like Avon this much. I don't even like Blake this much."

Dayna patted Vila on the head. "It's easy, Vila. Stark's gadget will switch our container for the valuable one." She put the 'gadget' into the space with Vila's kit and snapped the panel shut.

"Hey, I'm going to be in this container! That makes it pretty valuable to me!"

Dayna went on soothingly. "All you have to do is open a lock. You live to open locks!"

"I don't intend to _die_ opening a lock!" Vila wailed.

"You have to give up the bracelet." Dayna plucked Vila's teleport bracelet from his wrist.

"What!"

"We can't risk them detecting signals, Vila. Close your eyes." Dayna finished spraying him gold after Vila reluctantly obeyed.

"But what if something goes wrong?"

Cally looked up and smiled. "We have complete confidence in you, Vila, especially where money is concerned."

Vila grinned, thinking of filling his pockets along the way.

Cally said, "Dayna, swallow this. It will protect you from the effects of the melar gas."

Dayna and Cally each swallowed a capsule.  
   
Dayna asked, "Are you ready, Vila?" 

"Do I look ready? The answer is NO."

Cally said, "You have nothing to fear. The gas will suspend your biological functions just long enough to avoid being detected by a bioscan. Have courage, Vila." She held a small silver cylinder in front of Vila's face. It hissed as it emitted a cloud of pink gas. 

Vila said, "I'll get Avon for this! It's all his fault, and he'll... have to... say..." Vila passed out.

Cally said, "It should have been instantaneous. I'll have to adjust the mix next time."

***

On the  flight deck, Stark repeatedly exchanged one chip after another on the device he'd built. "No, no, no! Wrong chip! Bad chip!" He changed another. "Bad!"

Tarrant entered the flight deck. "Haven't you accessed their security systems yet?"

"Soon." 

"You said we had less than six arns. ...Less than six hours."

"I know what I said."

"You have less than an hour left and I don't see any progress."  
   
Stark snatched up a bunch of chips and shoved them into Tarrant's hand. "All bad. It's a matter of precision and timing. I must create my link at the precise moment they reset the..."  A large holographic image of the Shadow Depository formed at the center of the table. Stark looked startled.... and then triumphant. "We're in. I'm in."  
   
"You're sure this will work?" Tarrant looked dubiously at the image.

"Yes, it'll work. I spent too much time thinking it through."  
   
"Avon spent too much time thinking through half his plans." Tarrant reached across the table to put down the chips Stark had given him. "It didn't help."

Stark pushed him back, nearly shouting, "Your side, my side! My side, your side!" Then Stark looked at the device smugly, ignoring Tarrant. "Now go away. You know… go back to your quarters. Get something to eat, take a nap. Do nothing. That's what Avon said you do best."

Tarrant had been about to leave, but at that, he paused and stared at Stark. He grabbed Stark by the collar and said softly. "We need to set some ground rules, Stark. You don't lie to me." He paused again and twisted the collar tighter. "Did Avon say that?"

"No. I'm sorry... He didn't."

Still speaking softly, Tarrant asked, "Do you have any other lies you want to confess?"

"No."

Slowly Tarrant released Stark. "Good. I'll give you a friendly word of advice, Stark. None of us like lies. Don't do it again." Tarrant left the flight deck.

***

Cally and Dayna entered the central reception area of the depository. Dayna was dressed the same as on her previous visit with Tarrant, but Cally was costumed like a female Amagon pirate in flowing blue-black robes including a black mesh covering her face. She had strings of coins and ropes of gems taken from _Liberator's_ storeroom dangling from her headdress and draped about her neck and waist. 

Dayna looked around and sniffed. "We can do better."

Cally said, "Better is whatever I say it is." She strode through the concourse as if she owned it, light flashing from jewels, gold chains, and the butt of her weapon as she headed for the doors where Avon had been caught.

Dayna acted subdued and followed. "Yes." They had discussed it, and decided that while Travis was apparently in a position of authority here, Servalan could hardly afford that open a relationship with the Shadow Repository. Cally was sure this wasn't the 'real' Travis, in any event- she'd seen Avon kill him- this man was apparently playing on Travis's reputation. Tarrant followed the two of them, now wearing a plain dark blue uniform and a prominently displayed gun.

The chief of Travis's guards intercepted them. "May I help you? "

Without turning her head in his direction or pausing, Cally said, "No. Bring me whomever is in charge here."

"I assure you, madam, I am more than capable..."  
   
"Do not give yourself airs." Cally had modeled herself after Servalan, and was emitting an air of icy superiority. "I know a functionary when one crawls in front of my feet. Fetch me your master like a good little minion."

Travis appeared, no doubt summoned by security cameras. "I'm Travis. Are you here to make a transaction?"  
   
"I am Zeldalla."

"Should that name mean something to me?"  
   
"I understand you've been having security problems."

Travis smiled. "You've been misinformed."

"Oh really? My servants..." Cally indicated Dayna and Tarrant with a flick of a well-bangled wrist. "Saw a man get halfway into your vault before you even noticed him."

"Avon? He barely made it through the first door." Travis didn't bother to comment on the fact that Tarrant had previously introduced himself as a wealthy man. It wasn't uncommon for his customers to cautiously send out agents to evaluate his establishment.

Cally asked, "Is he still alive?"

"Last I checked."  
   
"I want him. That man..." Cally's voice went to steel. "He killed my husband on one of his rebel raids."

"I have my own uses for him. He's worth a great deal to me."

"Far more to me." Cally lifted an armload of emeralds and rubies as she pointed a finger at Travis. "The Amagon Code demands I personally repay my husband's murderer... with interest. It is a matter of honour. Price is no object."

Travis's eye evaluated the value of Cally's adornments. There was a fist-size diamond at her throat worth more than Avon's bounty by itself. In any event it would be difficult for Travis to collect the bounty as he was persona non grata in the Federation. "I think we can come to some arrangement. But you couldn't have known he would be here. Why did you come?"

"I have time-sensitive goods. I require a short-term deposit."

Dayna nodded, trying to draw Travis's attention from Cally. "Short term." 

"I need storage for one solar day," Cally said.

"One solar day," Dayna added, playing mindless minion to the hilt.

Two guards electronically swept the grav-float that had followed Dayna, Cally, and Tarrant with Vila's 'statue' in the center of it.

The guards reported, "Explosives: Negative. Biologicals: Negative. Power-field emitters: Negative."

Travis examined Vila, whose face had frozen in mid-yawn. The gilded wig that Dayna had put on him cascaded over his shoulders and face in heroic ringlets, further disguising him.

"Terran?" Travis asked.  
   
"Yes. Toltech era. It's a religious artifact, taken from the shrine of the God of Indolence."

"Hmm, it's extremely ugly."  
   
"But priceless. And now, I want that man." Cally casually stripped off most of her jewelry, pouring everything into a glittering heap at Travis's feet. "Now."  
   
Travis turned and waved his hand. A door slid open and two guards emerged, holding a semi-conscious Avon between them.

"I'll show you to the vault," Travis told Cally. "Your guard can watch from the Observation room."  
   
Cally turned to Dayna, "Girl. Take him back to the ship."

Dayna nodded subserviently. "At once, Zeldalla."

***

Cally, minus most of her jewelry, turned to inspect the vault, a huge gleaming metallic chamber, bare except for a control console at the center.

Travis said, "The vault is made from herculanium-bonded steel strong enough to withstand a pulse cannon. Does that alleviate your security concerns?" 

"I'll let you know in one solar day." 

Travis placed one hand against the control panel, and nodded to indicate that Cally should do the same. She did, and the machine gave off an audible signal.

"The code to your container is now linked to your genetic profile," Travis told her. "Only you will be able to gain access. Here comes your container now."

A large container appeared at breathtaking speed, rushing directly at Cally, only halting at the last possible instant before smashing into her. Cally automatically took a step backwards, arms up in instinctive defensive reaction. 

Quietly mocking, Travis said, "The first time can be a little intimidating."

***

Tarrant entered the observation room with a pair of Travis's guards. One of the guards worked a control and the vault room was visible on one of the many monitors.

One of the guards whispered, "Sleer is here."

The other one replied, "Travis should be told." They left rapidly. Tarrant watched them go and then turned back to the screen showing Cally and Travis. 

"Hurry, Cally," Tarrant said. "Oh, no..." One of the monitors showed Servalan sweeping imperiously along a corridor, flanked by guards in the same odd red and white uniforms as on Terminal.

***

Tarrant watched on the monitor as Travis's head guard met Servalan and her people in a corridor.

"Sleer. Sleer." The guard tried to get her to stop.

Servalan replied, "I've come for my property."

"If you could just... be a little patient."

Servalan eyed the man imperiously. "I will see Travis- _now._ "

"Yes, but..."

Servalan's gaze hardened.  
   
Back in the observation room, Tarrant called the ship on his bracelet. "Servalan's about to walk in on Cally."

Dayna's voice replied, "Warn her!"

"No! We can't. Travis is right there, he'll hear."

Dayna growled. "I'm putting up the Neutron Flare shields. If anything goes wrong, I'll get Servalan."

"All right... just wait until you're sure it won't matter to Cally or me, please!"

Back on the monitor, the guard was trying to appease Servalan, to noticeably little effect. "Please understand. Travis's policy on client confidentiality is very strict. I could lose my position."

Servalan gave him a frosty smile. "Of course. I understand perfectly." She glanced at one of her guards, who stepped forward and knocked Travis's man unconscious.

Servalan said, "Now it won't be your fault." Then she staggered, suddenly gone gray and breathing raggedly.

Her guard caught her and nodded to one of the others, who opened a small kit and took out a sealed flat packet. The first guard stripped Servalan's dress down to her waist, exposing her breast on one side while the other peeled open the packet, producing a wet-looking, bluish green, glowing sheet of gelatinous substance.

"All right. Hold still." 

Servalan winced as the packet was slapped onto her breast, but as it absorbed into her skin, she straightened, colour returning to her cheeks. She deftly did up her gown and said, "Maintaining this form requires much effort."

The guard nodded. "But we have no choice."

Tarrant stared at the monitor in horror. He whispered, "Andromedans..." He turned back to the screen showing Cally and Travis. 

Cally was talking. "I trust your machinery will not damage my possessions."

Tarrant paced restlessly in front of the monitor bank, glancing between 'Sleer' and Cally. "Come on, Cally, get out of there. Come on."

Travis informed Cally, "We often store items far more fragile and valuable than yours."

Another of Travis's guards scurried up to whisper in his ear. "Sleer is here."

Travis jerked noticeably and immediately turned to Cally. "I have other business to transact now, Zeldalla. If you'd allow my assistant to escort you..."

Cally entered a transport chamber with the guard and it began moving. Tarrant sighed in relief and left the observation room.

***

'Sleer' met Travis in his private quarters. 

"Travis."  The Andromedan inclined her head.

Travis smiled,  "Sleer... How good to see you."

'Sleer's' guards stood at the doorway while she slinked across the room and made herself comfortable on one of the lounges.

"I'm here to claim my property."

"Straight to business?" Travis walked over to her. "We have so much to catch up on since the destruction of Star One." He sat next to her.

"You've seized my property."

"Not seized..." Travis touched her arm with his mechanical hand. "Just... put to use whilst you were away. I'll replace it with an equal value of...merchandise."

"No, for my inconvenience, you'll provide me... With triple the value."  
   
"Double."

"Triple." 

Travis nodded. "I'll make the arrangements."

***

Back on _Liberator's_ flight deck, Tarrant said, "All right, we've got Avon, let's reclaim Vila, forget the whole thing and get out of here. " 

Dayna said, "But _Servalan!_ "

"Isn't Servalan." Tarrant glared at Stark. "She's an Andromedan. For all I know, Travis is too... for all I know, you are!"

"What's an Andromedan?" Stark asked.

Cally, who'd just entered the flight deck, answered him, "A hostile extragalactic mesomorph. And if they are here, that's all the more reason we can't leave, Tarrant. At least, not until we find out what they're doing."

Tarrant scowled at her. "How's Avon?"

"Recovering. Is there any sign of Servalan's command ship?"

"None... But Zen did pick up one small non-Shadow vessel approaching the satellite earlier." 

"Oh, that's fine," Dayna said. That's probably just a pursuit ship on a stealth trajectory, getting ready to report us to Space Command." 

Stark said, "There's no need to panic. We can still pull this off undetected. Look... I've modified these comms so that they'll encrypt all transmissions-- we can communicate safely at all times-- and this passkey has been calibrated to control all their doors. You see... This plan will work."

Tarrant sighed. "I suppose we're committed. I need one more thing. Dayna?"  
   
"Yes?"

"Can you create something for me that reacts with a change in moisture content, and by "react" I mean, "explode"?"  
   
Dayna grinned. "I can... prepare some dextronitrate paste."

"Do it, please."

Travis was smiling at 'Sleer'. "I'm procuring a quarter sackmar of Borinium ingots for you-- at least three times the value of the property you had stored."

The Andromedan nodded. "How soon will we have them?"

"The arrangements are rather complex."  
   
"And what am I supposed to do while I wait?"

"Accept my apologies." Travis ran his gaze over her body.

The Andromedan ordered her people, "Return to the pursuit ship. I will summon you if I need you. Leave that," she said, pointing to the medical kit. "Travis will tend to me... Should I require it."

Travis grinned. "True. I know many ways to make you...moist."

***

Avon was lying on a bed in the medical unit, on his side, obviously in pain. Cally was sitting next to him when Tarrant entered.

"How are you doing?" Tarrant asked.

Avon replied, "How do I look?"  
   
"You look like hell."

"Well, now, that's your answer."  
   
Cally said, "The bloodwork showed clear of drugs. It will be some time before the tissue regenerator completes its treatment. The bones are fused and blood replacement is completed." Cally sounded quite annoyed, and looked at Avon as she spoke.

"Yes, well," Tarrant said, "We're going ahead with the plan."

Avon gave Tarrant a false smile. "Because now it's begun, you have no other choice."

Tarrant was annoyed. "Yes, thanks to you forcing the issue!"

"Well, now, someone had to act."

"You mean someone had to jump headlong into danger without looking!"

"What? And you never do?!" 

Cally said, "Tarrant, leave him alone."

"Look, if Avon wants to get into it, we can get into it."  
   
"Fine." Cally got up and slapped a packet of meds into Tarrant's hand. "Use this when the internal bleeding starts again." She got up and walked away.

Tarrant lowered his head, embarrassed. "I didn't come here to fight. I came to see how you are."

Avon looked at Tarrant, his eyes suddenly showing how tired he was. "We've already covered that. Is there anything else?"  
   
Tarrant shook his head, frustrated, and left.

***

Inside the deposit box in the Shadow Repository, Vila's 'statue' wriggled. The gold 'paint' had stiffened, chemically reacting with something in the atmosphere aboard the satellite, and Vila's clothes had locked his limbs in place. Vila muttered, "One: Get up. Two: Use Stark's gadget to locate Servalan's container. Three: Jump into containers full of riches. The trouble is... Step one!"

Vila managed to inch up a laser probe from his sleeve and cut his way out of his clothes. He stood up, dressed only in a thin undershirt and baggy shorts imprinted with bright red hearts, and kicked away the heavy gold shreds of his clothing. "Dayna said this would be easy!" His gilt eyebrows waggled in indignation.

***

Cally, once more in her Amagon costume, stood at the central reception desk in the Shadow Depository.

"Withdraw your possessions already?" 

"Yes."

"That's unusual."

In a bored tone, Cally informed him, "My life is unusual."

Dayna nodded eagerly. "Very unusual."

"I said this was a short-term deposit."

"Short-term," Dayna added gleefully.

***

Back in the vault, Vila climbed up the interior wall of the deposit box. "Damn! Oh!..." An access hatch at the top of the container opened and Vila emerged slowly.

"No self-respecting thief should have to work this hard!" He lifted Stark's 'gadget' in one hand. "All right, let's see if this thing actually works." 

There was a distant rumbling noise, and another container started moving towards Vila.

***

Dayna and Tarrant were in the Observation room again.

Dayna said, "So far, we're right on schedule."

"Let's hope Vila is. All he's got to do is switch containers." He started pressing buttons, changing 'channels 'on the monitors. "If he gets it right, I'll kiss him."

Dayna grinned. "I'll tell him." She watched the monitors intently.

Tarrant stopped working the controls when Travis and Servalan appeared. "Oh, there's the happy couple now."

Dayna made a disgusted sound as they saw Travis licking Servalan's face. Tarrant coughed, but didn't change the setting.

On the monitor Travis murmured, "Are you still angry with me?"

"Mm... Furious." The Andromedan pushed Travis aside, not ungently, and got up, leaving the room.

Travis chuckled and followed. "Good. It adds enthusiasm to our encounters." 

In the Observation room, Tarrant watched intently. "Leave that medi-kit. Leave it. Leave it. Yes! Come on!" He dashed out of the Observation Room with Dayna at his heels.

***

In the vault, Cally pressed her hand to the central control panel.

The computer said, "Retrieving container."

Vila was atop Servalan's deposit box, preparing to climb inside at that moment. The box accelerated incredibly and Vila clung desperately to the opening, screaming as the wind ripped off the last of his clothing. The box changed direction abruptly and he fell inside, still yelling.

***

Dayna and Tarrant entered Travis's quarters. Tarrant headed straight towards the table that held the container of Servalan's gel-packs. He opened one carefully, and smeared it with the dextronitrate paste and then meticulously resealed it so that it looked exactly the same as the others.

***

In his cell, Blake rolled to his feet and began moaning. "No, go, go away." He waved at his head, as if trying to chase away insects. Neebrox woke up and looked at Blake sadly.

***

Cally had several of Travis's guards load her possessions onto a grav-lift. She saw Vila looking groggily out of one of the containers and gestured quickly to the guards at another crate. "You, move that over there." The moment they were out of sight, she  shoved Vila back into the container and shut the lid. 

Vila grunted, "Oh!"

Cally turned to the guards. "Careful!"

***

Dayna heard a noise in the corridor outside the room. "Quickly, Tarrant!"

Tarrant closed the medikit exactly the way it was.

"Too late!" Dayna whispered urgently. "Get down!"

Tarrant dropped to the floor, concealed behind the couch. Dayna dived over the couch, landing on top of him. They were both hidden just as one of Servalan's guards arrived and picked up the medikit, leaving with it.

***

The guard had just finished giving Servalan another gel-patch.

Travis watched, and said, "The Borinium ingots have been transferred into your container. You'll be pleased with their value."

Servalan replied, "I had better be similarly pleased with their quantity."

***

Cally was in the corridor, with a guard pushing the grav-lift. "I will _not_ be late for my Inventory tea."

"You'll be aboard the transport shortly, Zeldalla," the guard replied.

***

Stark, still on the _Liberator_ flight deck, watched the hologram of the Shadow depository, with Avon at one of the consoles, observing everything Stark did.

***

Inside the vault, Travis picked up a scrap of gilded tunic.

Servalan said in a cold voice, "Borinium ingots?"

"The Amagon woman. These are her possessions."

"An Amagon?"

Travis went to the central control panel and triggered a general alarm, setting lights and sirens going off throughout the entire complex.

The computer said, "Security lockdown."

Servalan asked, "Who was with her?"

"Two servants... and she took Avon."

"Avon! Seal all exits! Don't let him escape!"

Travis ran to obey. Servalan followed him, her expression coldly furious.

***

Cally and the load of treasure were cut off by a security door. The guard pushing the container drew his weapon and Cally shot him. Vila stuck his gilded head out of the container on the pallet. "We're dead!" he wailed.

Cally used the com that Stark said was secure to call _Liberator._ "Stark! The doors are sealed. What has happened?"

***

Tarrant and Dayna made it past a security door just before it slammed down and they continued running.  Another security door came down and trapped them. "Damn it!" Dayna glared at the door.

Tarrant said, "Time to try Stark's lock pick." He activated it. Nothing happened. "Time to try something else."

They turned and ran back the way they came, taking a side corridor. Dayna took a moment to hit her wrist communicator, not really caring if the message was intercepted. "Cally! Cally! Servalan must have told Travis about us!

***

Vila looked at Cally. He was still in the container. "This was a stupid plan! Didn't I tell you this was a stupid plan!"

"Don't panic, Vila. Come out and open this!" Cally indicated the security door.

"Cally! I can't! I've got no clothes!"

Rather than waste time arguing with Vila about the relative value of modesty versus survival, Cally stripped the tunic from the dead guard and threw it at Vila. "Hurry, Vila!"

***

On the _Liberator, _Avon and Stark watched the chaos in the Shadow Depository. Stark continued working calmly at his gadget.__

____

***

Travis, the Andromedan Servalan, and her guards gathered in the Observation Room. Servalan slammed her fist down on a control, silencing the alarms.

"I want him captured, not deafened!"

"This facility is vacuum- tight. They won't get out." Travis carefully did not mention the fact that Avon wasn't on the satellite. Once they captured the others, there would be some way to use them to get Avon... or at least, he might claim Avon accidentally vaporized by one of his companions. But that probably wouldn't absolve him of the blame for displeasing Servalan.  
   
"I have very little faith in your words, Travis." 

Travis turned on his guards savagely. "Locate them now!"  
 

***

On _Liberator,_ Stark was beginning to lose his air of calm competence. "This wasn't supposed to happen. Wasn't supposed to happen."  
   
Tarrant shouted into his comm. unit, "Well, it did! Now, can you pinpoint our location and turn off the security cameras so Servalan can't find us?"

"Yes, yes."  Stark did something to his gadget. "Done! Done!"

"And open that damn door! That 'passkey' you gave me ... it's supposed to give me control over all the doors!"

"Yes. Yes, but they'll know right where you are. It's best to let me..."

Avon leaned over Stark's shoulder. "Give him control."

Tarrant said, "Look, Stark, you and Avon just get Cally and Vila out of here. Dayna and I will act as diversion."

Avon replied, "That's suicide, Tarrant."

"Almost as suicidal as strolling in and walking through a security door?" The security door slid open in front of Tarrant and Dayna and they walked through it, looking alertly around for guards.

Avon scowled.

***

In his cell, Blake stopped pacing and started flinging his arms around wildly. Bravely, Neebrox pushed Blake up against the wall. "Stop it! What's the matter with you?"  
   
Blake quieted and looked at Neebrox. "Neebrox... the Federation.. when they put me on that table... they did something, and it's getting worse."

***

Stark gave Cally directions, studying the hologram to find places without guards, eventually leading to the shuttles. "Take your first on... the right."

Vila was pushing the grav-lift frantically, guard's tunic barely covering his assets as he shoved at it. "This is crazy! I told you Stark was crazy! Avon's crazy, too! And I'm crazy for listening to them!"  
   
Cally asked into her comm. "Stark, which way now?"

Stark was frozen, staring at the Hologram in a blind panic. 

"Stark!" Cally looked grim when there was no answer. "Avon, are you there?"

On _Liberator,_ Stark sat stiffly, staring hopelessly at his gadget.  Avon said, "Stark, they need you. If you fail them, I'll kill you."

***

Dayna and Tarrant stood over a pair of dead guards, holding their uniforms. Dayna looked dubiously at the uniform she held.

Tarrant said, "This will work. Trust me. We just-- "

Dayna held the garment up to her bosom. "This will _never_ work."

A guard shouted, "You two, hold it!"

Dayna threw away the uniform and ran. Tarrant flung the uniform he was holding in the guard's face and followed her.

***

Servalan frowned as the reports of Tarrant's and Dayna's flight came in. "They must be overriding portal controls."  
   
Travis said, "Not possible."  
   
Servalan barely looked at him as she strode out of the chamber. "Notify me constantly of their progress."

Travis said, "This is my facility, Servalan. You go nowhere without me."

Servalan paused and glanced at him. "Trav..." she coughed, and then continued, "Travis... How much do you owe me? In every way?"  
   
Travis looked down, sullenly and more than a little frightened.  "Too much... that I cannot repay."

"If I leave with Avon in my custody... then your debt is cleared."

***

Vila and Cally stood at the last closed portal; behind it was the shuttle access. This door was different from the others. Vila smiled at it, and started to rummage through his tool kit. His confidence faded, and he turned the entire kit upside down, pawed through the probes and picks and finally gazed at the door in dismay. "Cally, I can't! When I got blown around in that hurricane, I lost the pick I need!" 

Cally contacted _Liberator._ "Stark, open the last door for us."

Stark moaned and started rocking, "No plan, no plan, no plan... My fault, my fault, my fault."

Avon grabbed Stark by the shoulders. "They're almost out of there. Come on, you can do it."

Cally said, very calmly, "Stark, Stark, open the door. I can hear them coming."

"Stark!" Avon shook him.

Stark went crazy with panic and pounded the ‘gadget' against the table, shattering the hologram of the Shadow depository. Avon karate-chopped Stark in the neck and shoved him onto the floor.

***

Dayna and Tarrant were continuing to 'provide distraction'. "Cally? How are you doing?" Tarrant shouted into his comm. while they ran, using the hand-held door opener on everything in their path.  
   
"We're almost out, Tarrant. Just one more door." Cally stared at the unyielding door. "We're fine. Get yourself and Dayna to safety."

***

Tarrant looked around. He was lost, he was sure they hadn't a chance. He grabbed Dayna's arm and pulled her into a corner. 

"What?"

"We have to talk."

"NOW? Are you crazy, Tarrant?"

"Dayna, I have to tell you how I feel. I have to tell you…"

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do-- I do."  
   
Dayna smiled at him, and said, softly, "No... you don't." Then she moved away. Tarrant blinked, grinned, and followed her.

***

Servalan and her guards moved rapidly down a corridor. Servalan brought up a comm. unit as she was striding along. "Travis, report."

From the observation room, Travis replied, "Two of them are heading towards the main chamber, Tarrant and the girl. Your current vector will intercept them."  
   
Once the comm. was shut, Travis's head guard told him, "The Amagon still has the special reserve you intended for Sleer."

Travis grunted. "Good luck to her. That's the least of our worries."

***

Cally said quietly into her comm, "They're coming, Avon."

On _Liberator,_ Avon was concentrating on Stark's contraption, hands moving quickly, trying one thing after another. "I am working on it."

"I would suggest you hurry." Cally reached into her pocket and took out a small pill, swallowing it dry.

Vila was watching her. "What's that?"

"The melar gas antidote."

"Where's my pill?! This time I get a pill!"

***

Cally said quietly into her comm. "There's not much time, Avon."  
   
Without looking up from what he was doing with Stark's 'gadget', Avon replied, "I'm following ...the only ... logical sequence."

The hologram of the depository reappeared on the table. 

Avon blinked at for a moment, then grinned. He told Cally, "I'm back in their system."

***

Vila muttered, "No pill for Vila... of course not. When did anyone think of me?"

Cally readied the small silver canister of melar gas - just as three guards caught up with them, shouting at them to stand still. The door barring their way to the shuttle access opened, revealing more guards coming.

Cally nodded obediently, then triggered the melar gas container, tossing it at the guards' feet. Smoke filled the air, and the guards collapsed.

"Oh, hell!" Vila flopped over onto the floor, unconscious, as the gas reached him.

Cally smiled. "Much better. I knew I had to adjust the mix."

***

Servalan and her people moved rapidly down a corridor. Travis's voice came over the comm. to her. "Tarrant's beating you to the shuttle bay!" 

Servalan snapped, "Take them alive!"

Several of her guards ran ahead, but one stayed behind with her. "We must change your gel pack. You're drying out too fast."

Servalan growled and pushed the guard away.

***

Cally pushed the pallet, with Vila draped artistically over one of the crates of treasure, into the shuttle access chamber. Another door slid open and she snapped her gun up, but it was Tarrant and Dayna, not more guards.

"I'm glad you made it." She lowered her gun.

Dayna asked, "Is Vila dead?" while Tarrant tried to look unconcerned.

"Unconscious." Cally smiled. "It's been much quieter since."

With Cally on guard, Dayna and Tarrant pushed the grav-lift into the shuttle access area,  taking the freight lift down and sealing the door behind them.

***

Servalan growled in frustration and pounded her fist against the door. "Blast it! I must..." She reeled suddenly, and her guard caught her. 

"You need a gel pack, now!" 

The guard lowered her to the ground, opened the medikit and unsealed a packet, then paused, looking at it. He touched the surface of the gel, and it exploded in his face. His mangled body landed not far from Servalan.

Servalan moaned, and began creeping towards the medikit.

***

In _Liberator's_ cargo bay, everyone was gathered around the crates they'd stolen from the Depository. They'd opened several. Each one was filled with large octagon-shaped ingots.

Vila was practically dancing, hugging an ingot. "We've done it! We are rich. As soon as we establish an exchange rate for these ingots we'll know exactly how rich we really are."

Cally took the ingot from Vila and put it back inside the crate. "We agreed, Vila. Nothing gets touched until after Blake and the others have their freedom."

Vila looked grumpy. "Yes, all right. Let's all pretend we're not thinking what we could buy with all that money." He looked at Avon and Tarrant.

Cally turned to Stark, smiling. "Vila provides a perspective otherwise lacking." 

Stark said, "I must apologize for my panic. My shame is great."

Cally said, "You did brilliantly. We wouldn't have had a chance without you."

Avon's eyebrows lifted, but with Cally's eyes on him, he said, "Yes. Without you it would not have been possible." He paused. "I am in your debt."

"Nice sentiment," Vila said, with an air of disbelief.

Avon shrugged. "We need Blake."

Vila's eyes softened, and he touched Avon's shoulder for a moment as they left the cargo bay.

***

In the cargo bay a few minutes later, there was a faint rattling noise. It originated in a crate. One of the 'ingots' moved, unfolding spider-like metallic legs. It climbed out of the container, and scurried to an interior bulkhead. When it reached it, the 'spider' shot a stream of green liquid. Where it touched, the wall smoked and slowly dissolved.

***

On the _Liberator,_ in the Restroom, Vila and Dayna sat together, sharing a bottle of something green. They both looked a little tiddly.

Dayna giggled, "Cheer up, Vila. We're rich... why are you miserable?"

Vila groaned, "Don't remind me. I thought I was rich, but it's sifted through my fingers before I even got to count it. I'd forgot about Stark's friends. Ten thousand of them! We can't free Blake and not save them, so we'll have to pay for them all! There'll be nothing left for us!"

Dayna grinned. "Oh, there'll be some... enough to indulge ourselves a little." She threw her arm around Vila's shoulders. "I'm going to get some Bennigan Fire Silk. ... It's for my bed."

Vila looked interested.

"Blue, to match Tarrant's eyes." 

Vila sighed. "You're a disappointment to me, Dayna."

Dayna's grin brightened, "From you, I'll take that as a compliment." She kissed him on the cheek.

***

Avon was sitting on the flight deck with Cally and all the others, except Dayna and Vila, who were -- indisposed after their celebration. "The last time I saw Blake, I sent him away to be safe, and... he ends up a slave."

Cally said, "No one could have known what would happen. I don't see that you had any choice."

"It's been over a year. I'd promised to take him to Earth."

"All he'll care about is that you came back for him."

From the pilot's position Tarrant said, "Avon, we are now within comm. range of Domo."  
   
Avon stood up and went over to the comm console. After going through a few subsidiaries, he reached the head slaver, Verlis.

"I would like to bid on Lot Keshu Four."

On the main monitor, Verlis smiled silkily. "I'm so sorry, that lot has already been sold." 

"What?" Avon turned to Stark.

Stark protested, "No, that's not possible. That can't be."

Avon growled, "We've missed the slave auction. Your information was wrong!"

"I wasn't wrong! I wasn't! My people are in that lot as well."

Verlis said, "It was a special sale to a private buyer, one who was willing to pay premium prices for immediate delivery. We do have other slaves available."

Avon said, "I do not want other slaves! Who purchased them? Tell me!"

Verlis's image faded to be replaced by Servalan's smiling face.

"Avon." Servalan said, " ...as recordings are so... sadly impersonal... I'll have to imagine what your face looks like now." She paused, obviously relishing the mental image, then said, "I have Blake. Surrender to me, or he dies." Her smile became even more sickeningly sweet. "Slowly. Travis has assured me he can make Blake last for weeks, in screaming agony every moment. I offer you a partnership, Avon. Put your skills at my disposal and I will have no need of Blake. I've certainly no fear of the pathetic creature he is now. I will make you wealthy and powerful. It's quite a good deal, you know it is." The connection broke.

Avon whirled on Stark. "How did Servalan find out about Blake? Stark, you said you didn't tell anyone about the auction."

"No. No, I didn't. The data was stored only on my console. I mean, Travis did try to trace the datalink -- during the break-in, but I stopped... him. I mean, uh, I ... think I stopped..."  
   
"We led her straight to Blake. Stark..." Avon's eyes had gone colder than Servalan's.

Stark began edging backward. Avon was still leaning with his palms flat against the comm. console, but without moving a muscle, his anger was visibly growing.

Stark protested, "Blake wasn't the only slave in that auction lot! ... Thousands of Baniks! My-My own people! They belong to Servalan now too! You think I wanted that?! ... I didn't ... I didn't ... I didn't ... I didn't ..."

Cally said, "Avon, you know Stark didn't betray us."

Tarrant looked grim. "Not deliberately."

Avon snarled something better not heard, and stalked off the flight deck.

***

Avon stood in his room, glaring at himself in the mirror. He imagined Blake's image staring back at him, accusingly.

"You talk of honour, Avon. And this is how you keep it?"

"I did everything I could."

Blake's image smiled humourlessly. "I had never caught you in a lie before. You know what you have to do."  
   
"I can't."

"No. You won't. What price honour now, Avon?"

***

Back in the Shadow Depository, Travis, Servalan and both sets of guards were walking in the main reception area.

Servalan was angry, and showed it. "I don't care about the others. All I need is Blake. The slavers can keep the rest."

Her lead guard said, "I explained that to them, but they refused to search through ten thousand slaves to locate one. The freighter that we hired is being loaded right now." 

Travis's head flunky said, "Travis did spend a great deal to acquire them. We could accept the surplus and resell them individually to recoup our losses." 

Servalan glared at him. "You mean... your losses!"

Travis hastily shoved the guard out of the way. "That was a poor choice of words. I hardly consider it a loss. Just a small price to keep you happy, and... settle our account."

"You consider things settled now, do you?"

"Ah-- Sleer..."

Servalan stroked his cheek gently with one long, silver-taloned finger.  
   
" ...accept your victory."

"I haven't got Avon yet!" Servalan jerked her hand away and turned back to her guard. "Dispatch a pursuit ship to the freighter, and have Blake returned here at maximum speed." As her guard scurried off to give the order, Servalan glanced at Travis. "You may keep the other slaves. Do with them as you will."

***

Having recovered from their indulgence, Vila and Dayna had taken their turn on the flight deck. Vila looked at the readout on his console. "Come and check this for me, will you? These readings don't seem to make sense."

"What's the problem?" Dayna asked.

"We're registering very high-level discharge from the energy banks."

Dayna looked at the readings in increasing concern. "We're exceeding our regenerative capacity! Banks four and seven are drained. Have you checked this with Zen?"

"I only just noticed it."

Dayna ordered, "Zen, report on the status of the energy bank instrumentation."

Zen replied, "Instruments are reading accurately."

Vila asked, "Then why the massive power drain?"

"Auto-repair circuits are working at maximum capacity. Damage exceeds rectification capability."

Dayna asked, "Damage? What damage?"

"That information is not available."

"What do you mean, not available?" Vila asked, "Either we are damaged, or we're not. Now which is it?"

"Malfunction of sensors is limiting data for analysis. Operational systems indicate that the damage is widespread but superficial."

Dayna wanted to know, "The nature of the damage. What's causing it?"

"Unconfirmed analysis suggests unidentified enzyme activity resulting in molecular metamorphosis."

"Thank you, Zen. That's a big help." Vila turned to Dayna.

"Zen, it is vital that we have more information. Divert all computer functions to total investigation," Dayna said firmly.

Zen gabbled something in an unknown language before saying, "Confirmed. Minor damage to primary translator unit makes temporary closedown of speech circuits necessary. You will be advised when full function is restored."

Vila looked at Dayna again. "I think we'd better tell the others."

***

Cally knelt down and looked through a small hole eaten into the bulkhead.  "All right, I see it, Tarrant. I'll take a sample for Zen to analyze."

From the flight deck, Tarrant replied, "Good. Let's hope Zen can tell us what it is." He gave a worried look at Zen's hexagon, which seemed duller than usual.

Cally looked up from her green slime collecting as Dayna approached.

"How's Avon?" Dayna asked.

Cally shook her head. "He blames himself for losing Blake. He's not thinking clearly. So, I've devised a plan."

Cally capped the plastic jar and stood, walking back to the flight deck, with Dayna following.

"A plan?"

"The slaver said that the block of slaves was shipped out on a freighter."

"So? It could be anywhere. We don't even know _which_ freighter."

"The point is, is that they're still in transit. A freighter couldn't get to the depository for at least six solar days. We can easily beat it there."

"How can you be sure it's going to the depository?"

"Servalan doesn't have Blake, and until she does, she doesn't have a death-grip on Avon's throat. Which means we still have time. We can beat her."

"You're such an optimist, Cally."

***

A spider scuttled along the floor of a main corridor, entering a hole burned into the bulkhead near the floor. Inside the hold another spider squirted more green acid onto the deck.

***

Cally stood in the center of the flight deck, facing the others who were gathered around the table. "The only place we can be certain to intercept the freighter is at the Shadow Depository. There are far too many ships defending it for us to take on directly. We need to immobilize them."

"That's a good trick," Dayna said, "With what? Sticky tape?"

Cally said, "Saymon's Web."

Vila winced. "We barely got away from there once!"

"I propose that we approach cautiously..."

"Very cautiously," Vila muttered, "Or better still, not at all."

Cally continued, doggedly, "and use a force globe to capture a sample of the web. It should be possible to drag it with us, then free it in the vicinity of the satellite, ensnaring the Shadow vessels. We teleport aboard the freighter before it reaches the web, take it over, and let Stark use it to transport his people wherever they wish, while we reclaim Blake."

Avon looked at her. "And if we arrive after the freighter? The satellite is shielded against teleport."

"How can we possibly arrive too late? Even detouring to get the web, _Liberator_ is still far faster than any freighter."

"Under normal conditions, yes." Avon looked at Zen's dully-flickering lights. "But these conditions are hardly normal."

Cally lowered her head. "I do have a contingency plan. We could recruit allies."

Tarrant said, "Who? No sane mercenary would possibly go up against the Terra Nostra."

"There are two groups who would do it. One  for the wealth, and the other for the excitement." Cally took a deep breath. "The Amagons and the Space Rats."

There was a general shout of, "What!" 

"Brilliant, Cally," Avon said, making a slow handclap of derision. "Whatever the Terra Nostra, the Federation and the Andromedans  leave of us, our _allies_ will divide amongst themselves."

"They'll be far too busy dividing up the ingots we _were_ going to use to buy Blake and the baniks."

Avon tilted his head, considering.

Stark suddenly leaped up, arms outstretched and screaming. 

Cally grabbed him around the shoulders. "Stark! What's wrong? What's wrong?"

Stark collapsed to the deck, still shouting. He calmed slightly, "...gone... dead. All dead. All dead. I failed them."  
   
Dayna asked, "What are you talking about?"

Cally replied for Stark, who was obviously in no condition to be rational. "The Baniks... they're gone. He's a Stykera. He's... he's attuned to the dying. He knows."  
   
"Servalan killed the slaves?" Dayna asked, shocked.

Cally replied quietly, still stroking Stark's head, soothingly. "Yes."

Avon stiffened. "Blake is among them."

Cally looked up at Avon. "Blake's not dead. I may not be a Stykera, but I would know."

Tarrant nodded. "Servalan wouldn't allow it to happen. Not as long as she meant to use him to get you, Avon. We still have time to save Blake."

***

When Avon had been returned to the _Liberator,_ the Federation ship he used had also been returned. Tarrant volunteered to use it to make contact with the Amagons through a mercenary base where they sold excess captured ships while _Liberator_ traveled to Saymon's world to acquire a sample of Web. 

Avon looked up from Zen's console for a moment as Tarrant's ship executed a showy roll, then accelerated away from _Liberator._

***

"They died because of me." Blake moaned and clutched at his head, seeing shattered, bloated bodies floating, floating. He didn't even have Neebrox for company. He was glad of that, glad that the old man had clutched at his chest and died when they heard the screams as the hold containing the non-human slaves had been opened to space, heard their terror before the air was gone, and there was silence. He was glad that Neebrox couldn't be hurt, couldn't be frightened, any longer. Travis had given the order over the comm and Blake had been made to watch as the bodies burst, but Neebrox was already safe. Travis had laughed. Travis had... 

"Well, of course, he laughed," the thing that wasn't a ghost whispered in his ear. Blake turned. 

"Leave me alone, Servalan," he begged.

The Servalan who only Blake saw smiled and neatly crossed one leg over the other. "He laughed because you're a joke, Blake." Servalan flicked her nails at an invisible speck on her frothy white skirt. "And the joke will be on Avon."

Blake screamed, "NOOOOooooo."

***

Travis's head guard reported to Servalan on the Shadow Depository, "Blake is returning on your pursuit ship, but due to delays identifying him on the freighter... "

Servalan snapped, "Don't give me excuses! Do you think Avon is simply going to surrender himself to me?! I will not give him one second more than is necessary to formulate his plan. Is that clear?!"

"Yes, Commissioner, I'll inform you the moment Blake arrives."

Once the guard left, Travis sat next to Servalan. "Calm down.. Why do you want Avon so badly?"

"He destroyed my armada." 

"Revenge?" Travis scoffed. "You didn't give a damn about that rag-tag fleet of refugees. They were expendables. Them and their broken-down ships."

Servalan smiled. "This is why I can't have you around. You know me too well."

Travis smiled back. "Without me, you'd never have got that body you enjoy so well, or the chance to rule as a human, among humans."

"Without me your dissolved corpse would still be a puddle of slime."

Travis's smile widened. "See. We were made for each other."

Servalan grabbed his head and pulled him down to her bosom.

***

Dayna walked into _Liberator's_ cargo bay, with a folded-up sack stuffed under the belt of her jumpsuit. Vila came up behind her, carrying a tool that looked a cross between a hammer and a pry-bar.

Vila grinned at her. "Doing a spot of inventory?"  
   
Dayna retorted, "And you're planning a little home repair?"

"Absolutely. I want to feather my nest a little. Just, you know, something for my old age. Fifty-fifty?"

Dayna laughed. "All right. But we'll only take just enough so no one notices."

Vila pulled out a heavy-duty laser probe from his pocket and cut through the seal on a crate.  
   
"After all, we'll need something to pay for the celebration once Avon gets his Blake back." Dayna borrowed Vila's pry-bar and enthusiastically popped up the lid. She stared. "It's empty."

Vila peered in at a gaping hole in the bottom. "What! It's gone!"

"Someone's beaten us to it!"

"But who? Tarrant's too... 'honorable'."

Dayna nodded, "And Cally would never dream of stealing."

"Avon's too... ah..."

"Say it."

"Ummm... caught up in Blake? Stark?"

 "Maybe, but... he's not a thief. Not really."

"Someone is. We've been robbed."

There was a loud, harsh noise. Dayna tilted her head. "Did you hear that?"

"It sounded like... tearing metal."

The sound came again, closer, and louder. Dayna screamed as she fell through a hole in the deck, landing on her back, surrounded by 'spiders'. She sat up hastily, waving the pry-bar at them. "Vila! Get down here!"

Vila looked down into the hole and yelped. "Are you crazy! Umm... stand back!" He adjusted the laser probe to wide spread, and aimed it at the spiders. There was no visible result, but they scurried away from Dayna, disappearing through holes in the bulkhead. "What are they? They looked like..."

Dayna looked up at Vila. "They looked like our money! Our money's alive!"  
   
Vila's face turned tragic. "You realize what this means."

"They're eating the ship!"

"Yes, but-- we're poor."

 Tarrant looked at the address on his datapad again, then at the building, and shook his head. He entered, muttering to himself, "I can't believe it. Bekhesh, a neoreligionist?" He entered the dimly-lit bare cell, and stared at the mustached man in the dirt-colored robe who was kneeling on a mat and chanting.

"Hello, Bekhesh." 

The man looked up. "Tarrant. Have you seen the light?"

"Yes, it's called the sun. You could use a bit in here." Tarrant waved at his surroundings. "I'd ask what you're doing, but frankly, I don't care. I need your ships."

"I no longer lead troops into battle. I'm not a creature of violence any more."

"That's good. Now, let's talk business."

"There is no more business. A lifetime of killing and extortion takes its toll."

"Yes, especially on those you kill and extort." Tarrant picked up the large scroll Bekhesh had been reading from, and glanced at it.

"Yes. But also on myself. During a hostage raid we captured a Priest. A Disciple of the Writ of Turu, he refused to eat or sleep. All he would do, day and night, was preach, whether anyone was listening or not. I executed him. But I kept his writ. I don't know why. One day I started reading, and... they were words of peace, but they made me feel... better. Then one day, I left my ship and gave up all my wealth and power!" 

Tarrant knelt down and smiled at Bekhesh. "I don't believe you."

"Well, then kill me."

Tarrant shook his head. "I don't intend to kill you." He grabbed Bekhesh by the throat. "But I am pressed for time, so I haven't the luxury of politely convincing you to see it my way."

***

Cally examined a piece of 'melted' deck in _Liberator's_ lab. Avon was working on the bench beside her, consulting with Orac. Vila stood in front of them, practically hopping from foot to foot with agitation. Stark was off in the corner, silently observing. 

Vila asked, "Those creatures are eating into everything! How bad is it? Are we in danger of a hull breach?"

Cally replied, "Of course we are. They eat Herculaneum."  
   
Avon reported, "They're devouring Zen's sensors along with everything else, which is making it more difficult for auto-repair to even locate the faults. There's total drain on three of the energy banks, maximum discharge on all the others. In a few hours we'll have nothing in reserve."

Vila asked, "Can't you flush them out... or... or suffocate them?!"

Avon shook his head. "I trapped several creatures in a hold and opened it to space, but they were too firmly entrenched to expel. And the vacuum didn't affect them at all."  
   
"Well, do something!"

Avon said, "I can't do any more until I have a specimen to study. Dayna is trying to capture one now. Now, if you can't make yourself useful, Vila, I suggest you leave!"

***

Carrying a large, bulbous weapon ,Dayna chased a spider. She fired it and a stream of blue goo emerged, spattering the deck short of the spider. "Damn!" She fiddled with the adjustment and stepped closer to the metal creature. "This is your last warning shot!" She fired again, missing it off to one side.

***

Vila turned and yelled at Stark, "This is your fault!"  
   
Stark protested, "My fault? My fault!? This is your fault! You were on the inside. You stole the wrong container!"

"Because the gadget you made didn't work! I risked my life for nothing!" 

Cally snapped, "Be quiet, both of you! The fault lies with all of us. We brought those creatures aboard. Zen is suffering because of us."

Avon glanced at Cally. "Zen is only a computer, Cally. One we desperately need, but still, only a machine."

***

Dayna moved in close to compensate for the poor aim of her weapon. "I've got you now, you little bugger..." The backsplash hit her in the face. She grinned triumphantly, slime dripping from her face, and then hit the wall comm. "Cally, I've got one!"

"Bring it here immediately." 

Dayna looked at the spider stuck to the bulkhead in the middle of a glob of blue. "Umm... yes, as soon as I can."

***

Vila stared at the planet Caspar on the monitor. "Now look, I've tangled with just about every ugly in the book since I got involved with you lot, but I draw the line at Space Rats." 

Avon didn't look up from the console he was working on in an effort to locate severed auto-repair linkages. "Go on."

"Well, they have no respect for life. They're based on an ancient Earth sect of unbelievable viciousness."

"Good, that's precisely what we need at the moment." Avon snapped the console back in place again. "Cally, see if you can raise them."

Cally nodded, and set the comm. to a universal band. The Space Rats weren't known for their technological expertise in anything other than vehicles and weapons- stolen from anyone they could.

"Attention Space Rats. This is not a hostile approach. We come to offer you an opportunity of mutual benefit. Please respond."

In moments, the reply came in the form of a blow that shook the _Liberator._ Despite the energy expenditure, Avon had raised the force wall on entering the Space Rats' territory, and the ship was undamaged. Avon frowned at his console. "We can't afford another one."

"You're going about it all wrong, Cally," Vila said. "Let me talk to them!"

Cally glanced at Avon, who shrugged. She backed away from her console, and took up position at Vila's weapons' console instead. There might be power enough for a few blasts-- if only there were a visible target. Whatever the Space Rats were using, it wasn't showing up on their scans- too fast, or too small. Or both.

"This is the _Liberator!_ The fastest ship in the universe! We want to do a deal!" Vila yelped when the main screen suddenly showed a man's face. His hair was painted and stuck up in spikes, his face was covered with barbaric patterns in metallic paint. He grinned at Vila.

 _"Liberator?!_ Stannis's ship!"

"Erm... Yes, that's right. Jenna was our pilot."

"Was? You need a pilot! I can pilot anything!" In the background there was arguing and a scuffle and then another gaudy face filled the screen. 

"I am Atlan, leader of the Space Rats. What do you offer us, Gook, that we can't just _take?_ "

Avon moved into pickup view. "I am Avon, leader of the _Liberator._ I offer you speed, and the chance to do battle with the Federation and the Terra Nostra."

Atlan grinned, as the people behind him cheered. "That's good, that's very good. But fuel costs, gook! We want _more_ than that."

Avon smiled and showed him a vid-clip of _Liberator's_ hold, stocked with crates, and a close-up of their first inspection of the 'Borinium' ingots. "This is more."

Atlan laughed. "Yes, gook, that is _more._ Space Rats, we fight!" The crowd cheered behind him again. "Get your space-choppers!"

***

Bekhesh was chanting quietly, in a tired monotone. Tarrant shook his head and lifted his weapon. "I'm quite good with this, Bekhesh."

"At this distance, killing me hardly requires skill."

"Who said anything about killing? I'm going to burn off your mustache." Tarrant paused. "And your eyebrows."

Bekhesh went pale. "They'll grow back."

"No, they won't." Tarrant adjusted his weapon minutely. "And your chin as well... you'll be as hairless as a woman. Soft... smooth... never be able to command an Amagon ship again. But you don't care about that, do you?" He lifted the gun.

***

Servalan examined Blake, who was huddled on a chair in Travis's private quarters, with a pair of her guards holding his arms behind his back. Blake wasn't fighting at all; he just stared at her in sick horror. 

"Blake. Avon abandoned you."

Blake shook his head mutely.

"Don't you hate him for that?"

"No." Blake visibly gathered his courage to look at her. "You bought ten thousand people, just to get me? What do you want?"

"From you, nothing. But your friend, Avon -- he would give me something I want very much." Servalan idly ran her fingers through Blake's hair, while he shuddered. "You had better hope he still cares about you."

***

In the lab, Cally did something to the controls on a clear box encasing Dayna's captive spider. A tiny wisp of smoke rose from the thing, but it appeared entirely inconvenienced.  
   
"The heat's not affecting it. You did say they ran from Vila's laser-probe?"  
   
"Maybe they did," Dayna said, frowning at the box. "It wasn't exactly a controlled experiment."

"I'll increase the heat." After a moment the spider burst into flame and melted into a dull patch of metallic liquid. "Oh no."

"What's wrong? It's dead." Dayna grinned.

Cally shook her head. "It took too much heat to kill it. How could we possibly raise the temperature of the ship high enough? There are over two thousand of those creatures on board. We could never kill them one by one like this. I must find a way to deal with the total infestation."

The comm unit crackled, and Vila's voice came from it. "Cally, it's Servalan! She wants to talk to Avon."

Cally's chin went up. "I will speak to her, Vila. Avon's busy." That was an understatement. Avon was going about the ship, putting in temporary repairs to keep the systems functioning. "I'll be on the flight deck in a moment."

Dayna followed her. When they arrived, Servalan's image was on the main monitor.

"Where's Avon? Where's Tarrant?" She demanded.

Cally said, "I saw no reason to call them to the flight deck. You tried to sabotage our ship. Why would you honor any exchange?"

"Sabotage?"

Dayna snapped, "Don't play stupid, you butcher. Your metal eating money..."  
   
Servalan said, "I will speak to Tarrant and Avon now."  
   
Stark stepped in front of Cally. "Speak to me."

Servalan frowned. "Do I know you?"

"My name is Stark. You murdered my people. Thousands of Baniks as if they were nothing. And all for one man -- well, go ahead and kill Blake if you want, because he means nothing to me! You're not getting Avon!!" Stark lifted the edge of his mask and his energy spilled out, abruptly terminating the transmission. 

Dayna stared at the blank screen in shock. "Oh, no."

Cally turned on Stark. "You just condemned Blake to death!"

Stark shook his head, "No. No." He blinked. "Blake... Blake _knew._ He knows Servalan won't kill him, not until she's got Avon. We can’t let her know that _Liberator's_ in trouble. She'll come after us. And if she smells advantage, to her it’s the scent of victory."

Cally glared at Stark. "If Blake dies, I will not wait for Avon. I will kill you myself!"

 _Liberator_ shuddered, lights flickering wildly. 

Dayna shouted, "Zen? What’s happening?"

"Energy failure. Tiers 5 through 9. The creatures have infiltrated the power conduits. State course and speed. Blake. Jenna. Confirmed. Confirmed. Confirmed, standard by five. Dysfunction of computer banks seven, nine and four. Recircuiting."

Cally asked, "How long do we have, Zen?"

Zen's halting, distorted voice answered, "Dysfunction on computer banks three and six. All resources now concentrated on maintenance of teleport facilities. I-- I have failed you."

Dayna said softly, "He never referred to himself before. He never once used the word "I"." 

Zen said, "I have failed you. I am sorry. I have--"

Stark said, "He's dying. Zen is dying." He looked around wildly. "I have to... have to..." 

Cally said sharply, "No, Stark." She caught his hand as he reached for his mask. "If you cross Zen over, we all die!"

***

Servalan and Travis were in his private quarters. In his bed. Travis was working very hard to ... moisten the Andromedan. He groaned suddenly and shuddered against her. 

Servalan pushed Travis off. "Get another gel-pack." She stretched indolently and watched as he obeyed her.

Travis grinned as he kissed her exposed breast. "Well… that brings back memories."

"Am I that much like her?" 

Travis thought about it for a moment. "You’re much more patient than she was. She would have been hunting down the _Liberator._ "

Servalan smiled. "Oh, that would be a waste of effort. Avon will come to me. He has no choice." Her smile broadened. "Not after Terminal."

Travis straddled Servalan, slipping the gel-pack into place with leisurely motions. She looked up at him. "The currency that was stolen belongs to you-- yet, you seem strangely unaffected by the loss. Tell me, what did you really put in my storage containers?"

Travis smiled. "Karack Metalites. While dormant, they look like Borinium ingots. But they’re actually burrowing creatures. They consume metal in their natural environment."

"You intended to destroy my command ship. Kill my crew, kill... me."

"Yes. You wouldn’t have respected me otherwise."  
   
Servalan laughed. "It seems it was fortunate that I was robbed. Now tell me: These ‘Karack’ creatures. Will they destroy the _Liberator?_ "  
   
Travis nodded. "Eventually. For a vessel that size, and with the regenerative capabilities we know it to possess,  it should take at least eight solar days. Rest assured. The _Liberator_ will be dead."  
 

***

Tarrant aimed carefully, resting his gun along his forearm. "Bekhesh, you're looking a little lopsided."

Bekhesh held his hand up in front of his mouth; one side of his mustache was now an inch shorter than the other. "I can’t help you. The Writ of Turu says allowing another to inflict harm is an act of violence itself. - I’m trying to make up for the things I’ve done!"

Tarrant said, "You want to end violence? You want to serve peace? Then help me! Help yourself." His finger started to tighten. "Say goodbye to being a prince of your people, Bekhesh."

 Bekhesh cried out, "Please! Let me go!" His eyes darted to one side, to a pile of dirty mattresses.

Tarrant noticed and he kicked the mattresses with his boot. A dedicated comm link device fell to the floor. "Even better, I'll be able to show your people that you won't be going back to them."

Bekhesh leaped at Tarrant. Tarrant skipped to one side, aiming his gun at Bekhesh's head. 

Bekhesh stopped. "If you do that, they'll kill you."

Tarrant grinned. "You forget… I’ve dealt with your people before. Remember? They won't try to avenge you- after all, I won't kill you. They'll say you should have died first, and your choosing life over honour proves you deserve dishonour. They'll spit on your shadow."

Bekhesh shook his head and sighed. "All right then, give it to me, I'll call my men."

"Why should I trust you?"  
   
"You said there was currency in it for me - a great deal of it."

"What about your reformation?"  
   
"It’s easier to reform when you’re rich."

***

In the lab, Avon looked up. The others were gathered around him, hoping he'd find some alternative to abandoning ship; abandoning hope of rescuing Blake. "I think I’ve found a possible solution. Heat is one form of radiation. There are others. We can flood the _Liberator_ with radiation."

Vila yelped, "Radiation! Oh, no, once was enough! I don't want to die that way again."

Dayna said, "Oh, be quiet Vila, you didn't die."

Stark looked at Vila intently for a moment, then nodded. "No, Vila, you didn't die."

Cally asked, "What exactly do you have in mind, Avon? We can't set the engines to overload- there'd be nothing left of the ship."

"Set the Neutron Blasters for auto-firing... and override the Radiation Flare Shields."

Vila protested, "But Zen won't..."

"Zen won't be able to stop me. The computer has no control over any of the ship."

"And where will we be during all this?" Dayna asked. "Radiation's not good for my complexion."

"On Atlan's troop carrier."

Vila winced.

***

Avon and the others watched from a filthy monitor screen on Atlan's carrier. Orac was set on a table in front of them, telling them the countdown.

"Six, five, four..."

"You might want to close your eyes," Avon said, doing so. The rest of his crew obeyed.

"At this distance? " Atlan sneered. "It can't... aaaiiiiee!"  A pure white light poured from the monitor which sizzled and went black in seconds.

***

Bekhesh sat beside Tarrant in the pursuit ship, the Amagon ships following just within comm range. Tarrant hadn't trusted him to keep his word once he was out of arm's reach.

Bored, Bekhesh leaned closer to Tarrant in order to see the monitor better. 

Tarrant said,  "You know, flossing could help you with that gingivitis."

Bekhesh sighed out loud.

Tarrant blinked as Bekhesh's breath went past him. "Whew."  Then he turned his attention back to the monitor; they were approaching _Liberator._ Tarrant saw Atlan's carrier off to one side, presumably still loaded with a swarm of Space-Choppers. "Almost home."

 _Liberator_ was drifting, unpowered. Tarrant frowned and angled the pursuit ship for a better view. _Liberator_ was _glowing_. He hit the comm. unit. "Avon, Cally, anyone, tell me what the hell’s going on over there?! Vila! Dayna! Are you all right!" As the angle shifted, Tarrant could see bluish-white hellfire crawling over the 'needles' and the flight-deck section of the ship. "I'm seeing radiation flare on _Liberator!_ "

A message came from Atlan's ship. Cally said, "It’s all right, Tarrant."

"Cally, _Liberator's_ burning! That is not all right!"

Avon cut in, "We released the radiation deliberately."

"What?!"

"We had no alternative… just come aboard the carrier. I’ll explain it to you."

***

When they returned to _Liberator_ a few hours later, the short-lived radiation was gone. _Liberator_ was riddled with holes and full of metallic corpses, and the air was stuffy and possessed a metallic reek composed of acid and ozone. Zen was still off-line. The auto-repair system had reached the point where it could barely keep itself functional. They'd have to work like madmen to fix that before anything else could be done.

Tarrant looked around gloomily. "A mess."

"Yes." Cally smiled. "It's beautiful."

Vila rolled his eyes and kicked a metal-eater out of his path. "Ow!"

"Don't drop Orac," Avon said. "Until we get Zen back on line, I'll have to hook Orac in as controller."

"He won't like that," Dayna said gaily, picking up a metal eater and aiming it at a disposer unit in the bulkhead.

"What a pity. We all have to do things we don't like, Dayna."

Stark muttered, "What a frelling mess..."

Tarrant looked around at the gaping holes, and darkened corridors. "Our money did this?"

Cally said, "We did this… and since we have nothing to pay the mercenaries… do you think they are going to want to help us?"

Dayna said softly, "Servalan is going to kill Blake…"

"No she won’t," Avon replied in a conversation-stopping tone.

***

The trip to get a sample of Saymon's Web was very nearly without incident. Bekhesh remained on _Liberator_ in order to keep him from changing his mind, and Atlan insisted that he had a right to also journey in _Liberator._ They did not get along well.

***

Bekhesh knelt on his rug, chanting something unintelligible, repetitious, and monotonically annoying. 

Atlan thumped his drink down on the Restroom table, and yelled, "Hey! Hey, gook! Hey, you! Stop that flagging mumbling!" He leaned over and whacked Bekhesh on the back of the head. Bekhesh whirled and went for Atlan's throat.

Stark jumped between them, holding them apart.  "Uh, uh, you’re not here to fight each other."  
   
Atlan said, "And why not? This gook stole one of our ships last year!"

Bekhesh said, "That is why I asked your forgiveness."

Atlan shouted, "Amagons are treacherous scum! Crimos!"

Cally stood up, spilling her coffee, and snapped, "By Federation definition, so is everybody on this ship! You are being paid to work together!"

Vila said, "That’s right... " There was a clattering noise as Vila pulled out a necklace made of human teeth and tossed it on the table between them. "...and that’s what we do to people who don’t."

Cally smiled, remembering when Vila had paid dentists on three worlds to save extractions for him, so that he could give her his promised present. "Good work, Vila."  
   
Vila said, "You’re here to do a job. Start acting like professionals."

At Vila's side, Dayna lifted her weapon as a reinforcement of his words.

***

Tarrant was looking harassed as Cally met him on the flight deck with coffee and nutrition cubes.

"Where is Avon? I know he's got the auto-repair going, and Zen's... well, almost back to normal, but I could use his help here." 

"I don’t know. I have the impression he's been avoiding all of us. I haven't seen him all day."

Tarrant frowned. "I don't trust him...not that way, Cally. I don't like it when he schemes in private."

"You know he always intends the best." 

Tarrant shakes his head. "It just has a nasty habit of turning into the worst."

Zen announced, "Information! There is a signal being directed to _Liberator_ from a transport pod half a spacial away."

"Signal? Put it on the main monitor," Tarrant ordered.

An image of a curly-headed man, drawn and dirty, appeared. "Avon?" he asked.

"Blake!" Cally shouted. "Are you all right?"

"Yes... yes... I think so." Blake passed a hand over his face, over the livid, not-quite-healed wound striking across his left eye and down into the cheek. "They let me go." He sounded bewildered. "They put me in this ship with it set on auto-pilot, and they told me they were sending me to the _Liberator._ I don't understand."

Cally looked at Tarrant as a horrible suspicion struck both of them.

Blake mumbled, "Where's Avon?"

***

Avon stood in Travis's room, looking straight ahead, ignoring the guards watching him from the doorway.

Servalan came up behind him, and put her hand on his shoulder. Keeping the contact she walked around him to face him. "Hello, Avon."

"Dispense with the social chatter. You have me. You've won."

Servalan circled behind Avon again, both hands on his shoulders in a proprietary gesture. "As if there was ever any doubt."  
 

***

Servalan walked into the chamber and nodded. Avon was strapped to a wire-frame sphere head downward so that they were at eye level, albeit his position was reversed.

Avon showed her his teeth. "You may as well kill me now, and save yourself considerable time. I won't give you anything."

Servalan laughed. "You're such an innocent, Avon. It's not a matter of choice, you see." She caressed his hair. "My people can take everything that makes you a unique creature. Everything. We can store it. We can..." She stroked his mouth and savored the words as she said, "duplicate it... along with the body...You've given me yourself, Avon, that's all I need."

"If that's true, then why didn't you do it on Terminal? You had me." Avon laughed. "There's some reason you can't, isn't there... Sleer." 

Servalan slapped him across the mouth, then paused to wipe up the trickle of blood with her fingertip and bring it to her lips. "There is always some... small... loss. It's not difficult to disguise when dealing with other humans but... I need specific information from you, Avon."

"What do you want? If it's the directions to Hell, I'll gladly give you that."

"Star One."

Avon laughed again. "It's gone, hadn't you noticed?"

"Yes." Servalan nodded. "But it could be built again, to your design."

"Your design, you mean." Avon's fists clenched uselessly. "No. Humanity can enslave itself without my help."

"You don't have any choice in the matter, Avon. No more than you chose to take a Space-Chopper and come here."

Avon stared at her.

"On Terminal... I added a little something..." Servalan stroked Avon's forehead. "In here. It forced you to me."

"Nothing forced me here. I came because ..." Avon closed his mouth, realizing that whatever he said, she would use it against him.

"You're lying, Avon. I always know. Don't worry. Soon I'll take it away. All of it."  
She began attaching leads to a device that lay beside the globe. "It's been digging into your brain, harvesting what I need to know."

Avon gritted his teeth for a moment, then replied, "You're lying. If you were doing that, then there was no reason for the elaborate illusion of Blake."

"Oh, yes, there was. Thinking about Blake made you vulnerable... it gave me a direct route to all the little secrets you hide, even from yourself."

***

Vila frowned at Orac, sitting on the table on the flight deck, blinking to itself. "At least Avon could have left a message, the way Blake did when he went off to sulk."

Orac replied, "He did. I was instructed to play it when someone mentioned it." The main monitor showed an image of Avon. Avon opened his mouth, and Vila said hastily, "Freeze it there, Orac, I've got to get the others."

***

The message from Avon played once everyone was gathered around the flight deck. "Servalan is never going to give up hunting me. I realize that now. I'm tired of running. Perhaps I can do a deal with her. Perhaps I can kill her. I don't know. But I do know that I can get Blake out of her grasp. At least that's something salvaged." There was a pause as if Avon was trying to think of something to add. "Tell Blake... no... Good luck. I've a feeling you'll be needing it." The screen went blank.

Cally told Tarrant, "You see how you misread him?"

"Yes," Tarrant replied, keeping his thoughts to himself. After the business with Anna, it had occurred to him that Avon's keen survival sense was at odds with an intermittent death-wish.

Cally then turned to face the others, "This doesn't change anything."

"What's not changed?" Atlan asked.  
   
"The plan. Why we brought you here."

Bekhesh said, "Nobody brought me. I volunteered. I am the Holy Warrior of Turu. "

Cally looked as if her patience was wearing thin. "What I am saying is that you were willing to help save Blake. We'll simply use the same plan to rescue Avon."

Bekhesh said, "Excuse me. You're forgetting one thing."

Tarrant asked, "What?"

"My people came on this 'adventure' for one reason. You said you could pay us."  
   
Atlan nodded, "That's right."  
   
Cally said, "Well that's true, but..." 

Bekhesh pressed for an answer, "Have you any currency now?"

Vila said, "Well, um... we did have currency... ah, but what we thought was currency actually turned into, um, creatures... and they ah, they--they were alive and we--we had to radiate the ship..."

Bekhesh said,  "Yes, yes, yes. I understand that. But you see my problem, don't you? I don't do anything unless I get paid. And since you no longer have currency..."

Atlan drew his gun and held it on Tarrant and Cally. Vila flinched. Dayna growled, but stood still as Bekhesh pulled out a small weapon from someplace inside the voluminous folds of his robe. "We talked it over. _Liberator_ is now ours." He aimed at Vila.

Tarrant said, "Go on, shoot him."

Vila said, "Tarrant!"

Bekhesh hesitated. Tarrant snapped, "You're an embarrassment, Bekhesh."  
   
Vila groaned softly, "Tarrant..."  
   
Tarrant laughed at Bekhesh. "You're worse than an embarrassment. You're an idiot."

Vila stage-whispered, "What are you _doing?_ "  
   
Tarrant went on, ignoring Vila. "There are thirty thousand containers in the Shadow Depository filled with riches that you could have, but you'd rather point a gun at a harmless thief."

Bekhesh said,  "You can't shame me into going with you. Not again."

Tarrant smiled. "I wouldn't go into battle with either of you now-- Do you know why? Because you aren't simply cowards. You're idiots to boot. What do you think you are going to get if you steal _Liberator?_ The whole universe will be after you, including the rebellion! The Federation won't pay a credit in bounty, not when they can blast you to dust because you haven't the faintest idea how to handle this ship. You have to be the two stupidest mercenaries I've ever met, and I thought I'd seen them all. You make Bayban look like a genius!"

Atlan shouted, "I'm not stupid!" and turned his gun on Tarrant.

At that moment Blake stumbled onto the flight deck, mumbling something about Avon and Travis and Bran Foster, guns and blood and death, and voices in his mind, all jumbled together. Stark clung to Blake's sleeve, being dragged along in his wake.

Before Atlan and Bekhesh could recover from their surprise, four guns were trained on them, even Vila having got his weapon unholstered in record time. It was a stalemate; no one dared to shoot, or to put away their weapons.

Tarrant shouted, "Stay where you are and remain calm! Everybody, keep calm." 

Cally said quietly, to both Bekhesh and Atlan, "You don't have the numbers. Give it up."

Blake seemed to suddenly realize what was happening. He lunged at Atlan's weapon. "No, not Cally! Not Cally, too!"

Atlan grabbed Blake, twisting Blake's arm behind his back and using him as a shield against the others. Bekhesh sprang at the same moment to get Vila, dragging him into position in front of himself.

Atlan shouted, "Your whole plan reeks, gooks! I want--"

Stark started flapping his arms wildly and circling Atlan, while shouting, "I want! I want! My side, your side! All of you-- I want!"  
   
Atlan stared at him, "What's the matter with you, half-face?! 

"Matter, matter, I'll tell you 'matter'. Anti-matter-matter-matter-matter-matter!"

Blake had gone limp, quietly sobbing in terror when Atlan seized him. Atlan pushed Blake away from himself as he circled, fascinated by Stark.

"Servalan killed ten thousand of my people!" Stark shouted. "Ten thousand cast into space. Ten thousand souls screaming in my brain! The chair, the chair, remember the chair!"  
   
Atlan asked, "What chair?! This gook is crazy!"

Stark grinned at Atlan. "Are you coming? Do you agree-- agree?"  
   
"Will you fight like this down there?"  
   
"Of course, of course, no hands, no hands!" Giggling like a maniac, Stark held up his baggy sleeves, so that his hands were hidden.

"Then I change my mind, Bekhesh!" Atlan threw one arm around Stark's shoulders. "This one has the spirit of a Space Rat! But I want money! And plenty of it. Speed costs!"

Cally "You'll get it. You'll all get it. So, are we agreed? We are going to rescue Avon?"

Bekhesh hesitated, then looked at Stark. "Madmen are supposed to be lucky." He hesitated a moment longer, looking at all the guns now aimed at him, including Atlan's. "Yes, yes! So long as we're well paid!"  
 

***

Back on the Shadow Depository, Servalan adjusted a device similar to an oversize laser-probe held in a frame above Avon's head and then began setting a series of dials and switches on a complicated control panel attached to the device by wires.

Travis looked at Avon. "Sleer, tell me something. Why are you so interested in this man?"

Servalan smiled. "I have a use for him."

Travis's eye narrowed. "What are you doing to him? Why don't you just take him and leave?"

"I must soften his neural receptors to see if my probe in his brain has reached the information I need. If it has then I will call my command ship back and leave here."

Avon laughed. "She wants to destroy the human race."

Servalan glanced up from the device. "You overestimate me, Avon. That was never my intent, despite what Travis was told. Domination is so much more profitable." She stroked Avon's hair, careful not to disturb the connections. "And there are... advantages to this shape. My people do not enjoy sex, for example."

"Servalan's body must have been a revelation for you." Avon's eyes shifted as he gave Travis a contemptuous glance. "Even without a suitable partner."

Travis growled, but said nothing.

Servalan laughed brightly. "Oh, Avon, you do amuse me. If you survive this, I might even consider keeping you as a pet." She turned a knob on her control panel, and Avon's eyes went wide as he gasped with pain.

***

In _Liberator's_ cargo bay, Stark explained his plan. "...and all the doors are cross-synchronized so, when you're... here, I'm... here. And-and everything's perfectly timed because we're on a silent count. Right?"  He turned to Atlan. "Right? Right? You pay attention! If one piece of this plan fails, then the entire plan fails! You got it?! You got it?! "

"Look, gook, all I understand is that I'm going down first!"

"With Bekhesh," Stark said.

"Great! We're going down to the flagging depository... while you all stay up here, out of danger."

Vila had been watching from the background, wearing his tooth necklace. "They don't know you. You can find Avon without arousing suspicion."

Bekhesh grimaced. "What are you doing with those teeth?"

Vila grinned, "They're from old enemies. I like that they can't talk back."  
   
Stark said, "As soon as you locate Avon, then the rest of us will follow straight down."

"And then Bekhesh will destroy the depository's generator."

Atlan grunted. "Why don't I get that job? I like blowing things up!"

"Because you don't have any explosive collars you can pretend are jewelry!"

Bekhesh asked, "How will I know when to blow the generator?"

Stark snapped, "I told you! We'll all be on a silent count for the entire battle!"

Bekhesh blinked. "A-a silent count? _While_ we're fighting?!"

"Yes! It's easy!"

Atlan said, "It's flaggin' complicated. And all my men will be attacking the satellite at the same time?"

"Yes!" Stark nodded vigorously. "They're fast, fast, you see! So the defenses won't see them, yes?"

Atlan pointed at Bekhesh, "And what do his robed gooks do?"

"The Amagons will deploy The Web, using force-fields to each place a portion of it in a mathematically precise pattern around the Shadow ships."

"The Web, what the flaggin' 'ell is The Web?! 

"The Web will be a net that will trap any ship coming after you!"

Atlan snorted. "A net? They stay up here opening a net... while I'm down there risking my life!"

Bekhesh said, "What's the point of a plan, if you don't get away at the end?"

***

Blake was in his old quarters, looking bemused. Tarrant stood in front of him. "Look, Blake, I know you're not in... well, you're not feeling too well. But we need you to tell us what you remember of the Depository... the places in it that aren't open to the public. Where did they hold you? Where are they likely to keep Avon? What might they..."

"NO!" Blake put his hands to his face again. "No! I won't, I can't!"

"But Avon, Blake... I thought you'd want to ..."

Blake looked up with a sudden flash of anger. "I've been running, trying to survive. I've been places, done things... you've no idea, boy."

Tarrant kept his temper. "I realize that."

"No, you don't. You only think you do." Blake made a claw out of his fingers and traced his nails lightly over his scar. "There was a phrase in the outlawed religions, Tarrant... odd how these fragments survive because of the poetry in them... 'If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out...' " Blake stared at Tarrant, lopsidedly. "I tried, Tarrant."

***

"There. He's ready now," Servalan said, walking away from Avon and going back to the control panel for her device.

Avon said weakly, "Ahh... you've stopped just when it was becoming enjoyable."

Travis looked at the control panel curiously. "Are you going to take out the implant?"

"No. I'm going in." Servalan slipped a headset identical to Avon's over her own head. She touched the controls, and Avon gasped, his head jerking to one side.

***

Avon stood at the head of a set of steps leading to an aisle that descended into a large, empty, circular auditorium full of empty seats covered in worn-looking gray plush. He looked up; the ceiling was a huge dome with holographic projectors encircling it.  "What?!" He whirled at the sound of high heels clicking towards him, to see Servalan approaching from the entrance. "What kind of trick is this! This is the Dome Planetarium! It was torn down twenty years before I left Earth!"

"This is a place inside your memory, Avon. A place in your brain."

Horrified, Avon whispered, "In my brain..."

"Yes, we're inside your brain. And no... I'm not Servalan. But she is." The not-Servalan looked back behind them. 

"Hello, Avon." The new Servalan looked at the other one. "Have you obtained the information?"

Not-Servalan nodded, "I believe I've burrowed far enough. The information was well hidden. I suspect even Avon is unaware of the specifics."

"Is he ready to have the chip removed?"

"Oh, yes."

"I'll call my command ship." Servalan casually walked around to stand slightly behind Avon. "When we reach my ship, and I remove the chip... well, I would like to say something comforting about a painless, swift death given in homage to a valiant enemy, but to be honest, Avon, I think I shall have you programmed for mindless obedience. My body finds you exciting."

"I think not." Avon started to turn towards Servalan. 

Servalan plunged a blue-white crystalline object into the base of Avon's skull. He grunted heavily and fell like a puppet with its strings cut. He watched as Servalan walked away from him. His eyes widened as he made a terrible discovery. He whispered, "I can't move."

***

Blake entered the flight deck with Cally. Tarrant looked up from the pilot's console. 

"Tarrant..." Blake swallowed convulsively. "I want to help Avon."

Tarrant shook his head. "I've been thinking about what you said earlier. I was wrong to ask you." 

"No. You were right. I have to try. Not because Avon traded himself for me. For me."

Tarrant looked directly into Blake's eyes and nodded.

"Tarrant." New voices from the entrance made all three of them turn. Atlan and Bekhesh stood there.

Bekhesh said, "We need to talk about the plan."

Tarrant sighed,  "Let's not go through that again. Cally, would you mind telling these... gentlemen... what we talked about earlier?"  
   
"We have auto-programmed _Liberator._ If you try to mutiny, whatever chamber you occupy will fill with Sono vapour, and render you unconscious." She paused. "And then we'll decide whether it's kinder not to let you wake up before we deal with you."

Bekhesh replied, "We have no desire to die. But you are both warriors. You must admit this plan seems... ah... flawed."

Tarrant said, "It's more than flawed. It's totally bollixed. And that is why I say we should forget about it."

Atlan huffed, "Forget about it! You think they're just going to let us walk in down there?!"

Tarrant turned to the main monitor. "Zen, is _Liberator_ fully regenerated?"  
   
"Confirmed."

"What do you have in mind, Tarrant?" Cally asked.

"This is what I think we should do. _Liberator_ should act as distraction. And we go down there, burst through the front doors and storm the place. It's what we do best."

There was a loud clatter, and everyone looked up. Dayna stood in the flight deck entrance, loaded down with a bandolier of bombs, and with various evil-looking guns draped around her body. She grinned. "Are we ready to rescue Avon?"

One of Servalan's men reported, "Your command ship is arriving six hours earlier than expected, Sleer."

Servalan frowned. "Is it?" 

Travis said, "I thought you wanted to leave as soon as possible."

"I do, but I dislike unexpected changes in my plans."

Avon said, "Unless you wish to pass the time with more torture, you might as well take me off this thing."

"I'm not indulging myself, Avon," Servalan said. "Not this time. Now that my implant has reached the information I need, I'll remove it, just as soon as my command ship arrives. It seems..." She gasped and her hand went to her chest.

Avon tried to smile. "Not feeling too well? Something fatal, I hope."

Servalan ignored him. "Travis, lock this chamber down! Open it for no one but me!"

Travis nodded and watched as Servalan and her entourage left and then he turned his attention to Avon. "I've never seen Servalan go to so much trouble for anyone- not even Blake."  
   
"Don't be jealous. She only loves me for my mind." Avon paused. "You should have a look yourself."

Travis sneered. "Why would I ever want to be inside of you? You're not my type, Avon."

Avon shifted his eyes, and looked at Travis coldly. "So the Servalan in my head can tell you exactly how she's going to kill you."

"I can tell you this. You're about to taste blood." Travis hit Avon hard on his mouth. 

Avon's head rocked back against the wire frame, a dribble of blood coming from the corner of his mouth. "Was that good for you?"

Travis smiled. "Yes. Not as good as if it was Blake, but still, quite pleasant."

***

In a quiet corner in the depths of the Shadow Depository, Atlan and Bekhesh attempted to contact _Liberator_ using the secure comms that Stark had made. Atlan shook the comm he held and bashed several of the buttons on it at random. "Tarrant? Cally? Anyone?" He turned to Bekhesh, who shrugged when Atlan said, "How does this flaggin' thing work?!"

Tarrant replied, "I hear you, Atlan." 

Atlan said, "We're in. You were right. The guards aren't looking for Space Rats or Amagons- at least not male ones." He grinned, remembering Bekhesh's reaction when one of the guards doubted his gender.

"Have you found Avon?"  
   
"No, but..."

"Why not?! Blake gave us information on the private areas of the station, with that and Stark's hologram, you've got to be able to find him!"

"Oh well, it's just..."  
   
Bekhesh grabbed the comms from Atlan. "The problem is, he's got no sense of direction!"

Tarrant snapped, "I don't want to hear excuses. Just find Avon!"

Atlan got the device back and snarled, "You're no help, Bekhesh! Why don't you flag off! I would have found him by now if it wasn't for you clumping around behind me!"

Bekhesh shouted back,  "Fine! From now on, you're on your own!"

***

Atlan went around a corner, moving fast.  "Tarrant! Answer this flaggin' thing, will you?!"  
   
Tarrant replied, "Ah... I'm sorry, Atlan. I've been concentrating on Zen's orders."

"I got through the waste vents and I found him. Avon's on the level above the main chamber in Travis's quarters, I'm..." He was concentrating so hard on Tarrant that he ran right into three of Travis's guards. Thoroughly out of temper, he brought up his weapon, but a fourth guard struck him from behind, knocking him down and out.

From the comm, Tarrant shouted, "Atlan... Atlan!"

***

In Travis's quarters Atlan was tied up, sitting on the floor at the base of Avon's 'torture sphere'. He snarled at Travis, "I told you. I don't know that man. I was just minding my own business when your gooks jumped me!"

"Why are you here?" Travis asked.

"I was planning to make a deposit."

Travis laughed. "A deposit of what? Body lice?!"

Servalan had been sitting on a recliner, watching the interrogation. Now she rose to her feet and slithered over to stand above Atlan. "Space Rat; what an appropriate name for vermin. This is the last time I will ask: What are you doing here?"

"Get bent, gook! You know what I was doing. I was casing the station for my Space Rats! I didn't know you were here, and I don't know who he is." 

Servalan said thoughtfully. "Space Rats... now, why do I doubt you?"

Travis said, "Because they haven't the brains or the ambition. Let me handle this."

Servalan glanced at Travis, then nodded. "But be quick about it."

Travis picked up a small stasis box and an oddly-shaped tool resembling a sharpened spoon. "Space Rat, you have good eyes. See clearly now, and I may let you live. Tell me, what are you doing here?"

Atlan said, "I told you--"

"Not another lie! Who are you working with, and what is the plan to free Avon?"

"Plan? I don't know of any plan."

"Damn your lying eyes." Travis put the edge of his 'spife' to  Atlan's left eye. "Perhaps once it's been transplanted to me, it will be honest."

***

Atlan groaned. He'd been partly untied, and held a blood-soaked cloth to his face. Behind him, Travis held up the stasis box, looking at it curiously.

"... and that's all I know!" Atlan said, hysterically. "They plan to destroy the generator, then attack when the life-support fails, and you're all bumbling around in the dark. Please! Don't take my other eye."

Servalan nodded. "I believe you." She looked at Travis. "I will secure the generator, and their plan will fail."

***

In _Liberator's_ cargo bay a battered old shuttle - an unmarked Amagon acquisition - sat, engines idling. Tarrant was giving last minute instructions to Stark and the _Liberator_ crew. "We have to be fast. _Liberator's_ going to create a distraction just before we dock at the station. Dayna and Stark, I want you to go through the waste vents, into the depository, and destroy the generators. Once the power is gone, Cally and I will get through the center chamber doors, and rescue Avon. If anyone sees Bekhesh, bring him along, he's got himself lost." 

Blake frowned. "What about me? What's my part in all this?"

"You're going to stay on _Liberator_ with Vila."

"I said I'd go, that's why I'm here!"

Tarrant shook his head. "If we lost you after all this, then everything Avon's been through would be for nothing. He'd never forgive me."

***

Servalan and her mixed group of troopers and guards moved rapidly through the corridors, heading for the generator. Once they got into a lift, Servalan turned to one of Travis's men. "Tell me. Is there a back way to the generator?"

"Yes."

***

In Travis's quarters, the wall monitor was on, showing a view of space. "Take a good look, Avon. That is the last sight your eyes will ever see."

Avon said wearily, "You're a fool, Travis. Servalan has to kill me to retrieve her chip. Do you think any of your taunts mean anything to me?"

Travis smiled. "Weren't you listening? She plans to keep you alive. She wants your body, too. Your body and your brain." Travis moved closer to Avon. "She didn't mention your eyes. Perhaps I should have a spare, in case the Space Rat's eye isn't compatible." Travis touched his 'spife' to Avon's eyelid. Avon was still paralyzed, and didn't even blink.

An alarm sounded, screeching wildly from the monitor. Travis whirled to gape at it. "What the hell is that?!"

On the monitor, a familiar three-pronged ship appeared, heading directly for the satellite without slowing to docking speed.

"That's _Liberator._ " Avon's eyes smiled.  
   
_Liberator_ rotated and her weapons glowed, blasting three of the Shadow ships protecting the satellite, sending glowing fragments in all directions. _Liberator_ turned then, and fled... slowly. The moment the Shadow ships left their positions near the satellite, the Space Rats' tiny Space-choppers moved in to attack them.

***

On _Liberator,_ Vila shouted with glee. Blake grinned, and opened the comm to the shuttle which was hovering just beyond the station's docking facility. "You're clear to dock, Tarrant. Get in there now!"

***

Tarrant leaped out of the shuttle first and led the way into the central reception area. Customers milled about frantically, trying to escape the station and getting in the way of guards who were trying to reach their assigned emergency stations. Cally followed him, cutting through the crowd by blasting a few random holes in the deck to get their attention.

Dayna and Stark followed, both of them grinning and waving weapons and assorted small bombs about like maniacs. Anyone who saw them fled in the direction of Cally and Tarrant, preferring to face hardened mercenaries than lunatics with unknown weapons.

***

Servalan had been listening in to the command frequencies. She broke in through the panic and ordered every available guard mobilized and stationed on standby outside the main chamber.

***

Travis stared at his monitor, which was now divided into external and internal views of the station. The debris from destroyed Shadow ships floated outside, jagged metals and burst bodies intermingled. People ran randomly inside the station, mouths open in silent screams as the command frequency sound had been substituted for the normal pickups. Servalan gave terse orders to his people as well as her own and Travis could do nothing but watch.

Avon said, "You've lost, Travis, even you can see that. If you don't die here and now, you'll regret it as the Terra Nostra take revenge for what you've allowed to happen to their largest investment. I'm prepared to offer you a deal. You get me out of here, I'll help you stay alive."

Travis rubbed his false hand. "I owe Servalan."

"She'll repay you for your loyalty with your death."

From the floor, Atlan growled, "Let us go, you bastard!"

***

Stark and Dayna had a wonderful time shooting everything in sight, and tossing small bombs wherever Stark's memory of the hologram layout seemed to make it unlikely they'd get themselves killed at the same time. 

"The generator's this way!" Stark shouted, pointing.

"Hurry! I'm running low on ammunition!" Dayna dropped another empty gun and ran lightly after Stark, up a ramp that encircled a large open chamber.

They looked down on a huge, solid-looking device, a thing of dull metal and sharp angles. "That's the generator," Stark said with confidence. "Blow it up!"

***

Tarrant and Cally had mowed quite a swath through the common guards, but one of them was equipped with a hand cannon. Tarrant covered for Cally as she darted behind a pillar, then he leapt out to take a shot, but his gun made a grating sound of protest and he threw it from him cursing, the handle suddenly too hot to hold. 

The guard grinned and activated the pre-ignition cycle on his weapon. Tarrant dropped to a crouch. The guard aimed the cannon at him. Tarrant shouted, and flung the knife he'd just taken from his boot.

The guard dropped the cannon, looked down with surprise at the knife hilt in the middle of his chest, and then crumpled.

"Good shot," Cally remarked.

"I was aiming for between his eyes."

***

Dayna and Stark had reached the floor of the generator room. Stark stared up at the huge device, running along to the far side of it to look up at the entire thing.

"Dayna, what's taking so long? You have to destroy the generator, now!"

Dayna felt frantically along her chest, touching all the spaces in the bandoliers she had crisscrossed about her body. "I can't! I've used up all my bombs!"

"Frell! We have to think of something! Hurry, they'll be here soon!"

"I'm here already." Servalan said, as a group of troopers appeared behind one facet of the generator, grabbing Stark before he could do anything.

 Dayna waved her gun uncertainly.

"Put the weapon down," Servalan ordered.

"No!" Dayna kept Servalan in her sights. 

"Put the weapon down now!" Servalan dug her own gun into Stark's ribcage. "Or you'll see what colour his blood is!"

***

Tarrant picked up his now cooled off gun and the dead guard's hand-cannon. "Why hasn't the power gone off?"  
   
Cally shook her head. "I don't know. I only hope Dayna and Stark didn't run into more trouble than they could handle." She ran ahead and looked through tinted triangular windows that bordered the door between the main chamber and the interior of the depository. "I wonder if there's anyone on the other side of this door?"

***

Dayna stood sullenly next to Stark, both of them disarmed and held between guards. Servalan used the command comm and tried to inform Travis that the danger to the generator was over. "Travis. Travis, why aren't you answering me?"

Bekhesh stepped out from behind the other side of the generator. "Servalan. Don't worry about him. Worry about me!"

One of the guards shouted, "Shoot him!" and raised his gun.

Servalan knocked his gun arm down. "No, don't! Look at his neck!"  
   
Bekhesh grinned, and lifted his chin proudly, showing off the explosive collar. "That's right. I'll explode if you shoot me." He glanced at Dayna. "If you have the chance, tell Tarrant I forgive him. And tell my people of my courage." He lifted the remote control for his collar. He murmured, "I am a true Holy Warrior of Turu."

Dayna shouted, "Bekhesh!"

The guards began backing away, letting go of Dayna and Stark.

Servalan shouted, "No!" an instant before Bekhesh hit the control and exploded, blasting open the side of the generator and starting a series of small explosions that rapidly built into a massive fireball.

Stark grabbed Dayna and they both ran.

***

Tarrant and Cally staggered as a huge explosion rocked the entire station. Lights flickered and vanished, leaving only a few widely separated sparks of battery-powered light.

Tarrant grinned. "They did it. They killed the power."

"Go to heat vision," Cally ordered, pulling a single-optic lens over her right eye. She paused and tapped it. "Mine's not working."

The door behind them slid open with a loud rasp. Tarrant whirled about, bringing up the hand cannon. "Just shoot!" He saw the guards as blurs of reddish white and shot at the main mass. The darkness erupted with gunfire, splashes of light briefly picking out bits of corridor, bodies, faces, guns.

Tarrant and Cally moved together, shoulder to shoulder, firing at everything in front of them. Cally intermittently tapped her lens, trying to get it to work. All she could see was darkness, static and the flashes of weapons. The noise finally stuttered to silence.  

"My night vision is working!" Cally cried out, pleased.

A backup generator whined into action and the lighting came back. Cally and Tarrant turned around quickly, back to back, alert for attack. There was no one left to fight. Tarrant blinked at the mounds of bodies. "For someone who couldn't see you did quite well."

***

Servalan and her remaining guards scrambled along a corridor littered with rubble and bodies. Space Rats who had become bored with shooting up ships had invaded the station, wreaking gleeful havoc and adding a touch of colour to the confusion.

Behind Servalan a soldier screamed, his uniform afire. She moved further away from him to send a comm message. "Travis. Travis, I know you can hear me. If you're betraying me, if anything happens to Avon..."

***

Avon hung on the wire sphere, the brain interface device in place on his head. "Come on, Travis! If you don't make up your mind quickly, Servalan will decide it for you!"

Servalan's voice came over the comm unit. "Answer me!"

"She's going to kill you, no matter what happens here. You don't believe me? You can look in my mind, and ask her double for yourself."  
   
Travis hesitated, glancing at the comm unit, then turned to Avon.

***

Avon's 'body' lay on the floor of the planetarium, the crystalline 'knife' still in the back of his neck. Avon said, fighting to get the words out past the paralysis, "Servalan. Ask her."  
   
Travis asked, "Where is she?" 

The not-Servalan entered the planetarium. "I'm here, Travis."  
   
Travis walked up to Servalan. "Tell me. Does Servalan plan to kill me?" 

"Hmm." Not-Servalan looked Travis over lazily. "Now I know why Servalan found you so enticing. To possess something like you, to feel that body against hers for a little while." She smiled.

Travis said, "Avon's right. Servalan is going to kill me."

Not-Servalan said, "Oh, my lovely. How fortunate you are. Your death will be painless." She turned and began walking towards Avon.

Avon mumbled, "Travis! Get this thing out of my neck, forget about her!"

Travis knelt behind Avon. "If I take it out, do you swear you'll allow me on _Liberator_ and get me away from Servalan?"

***

Cally and Tarrant ran into Travis's chambers. No one was there. There were bits of cord lying at the base of the sphere, and the communications monitor was still on, showing scenes of mad disorder.

Tarrant shouted in frustration, "Where is Avon? Atlan said he was here!"

Cally said, " After they caught Atlan, they must have suspected something and moved Avon!"

"Great, just great! Where do we go from here?"

Cally looked down and saw the trail of scattered blood-drops that Atlan had left. She suggested, "We follow that?" She adjusted her heat-vision goggle to make the blood greenly luminescent.

"Until it gets covered with someone else's blood... well, better than nothing." Tarrant followed Cally out of the room.

***

Travis dug the muzzle of a pulse rifle into Avon's back, urging him on.  Atlan walked next to Avon; he was in better shape than Avon who was moving slowly and breathing rapidly.

Travis said, "There's a way to get to the shuttle bay in the lower level, we must move faster!"

Avon suddenly cried out in pain, gasping and clutching at his head. Atlan grabbed him, holding him steady. "What's wrong?" he asked.  
   
"Serv... Servalan... in my head... doesn't want me to go."

"Move!" Travis snapped, jabbing the pulse rifle into Avon's back. Avon staggered, still holding his head.

Atlan snarled, "Don't push him, you bastard!"

Avon shouted, "Stop it, stop it!" 

Atlan shook Avon by the shoulder, "Don't tell me to stop it! That gook took my eye!"

Half a wall exploded behind them, and a squad of Servalan's people emerged from the hole.  
   
"Troopers!" Travis shouted at Avon and Atlan. The three of them ran.

***

Dayna and Stark ran along a corridor. " _Liberator!_ Vila! Blake! We're heading back to the shuttle, be ready for us to join you!"

Vila answered, "We're on our way."

Blake took the controls over Vila's objections. Bekhesh's second in command watched them, but said nothing. Tarrant had made it quite clear he was only there to verify any orders from _Liberator_ to the Amagons. The Space Rats had refused to have a liaison during the battle, because they all wanted to be in on the fighting. Vila had been pleased about that. The Space Rats made him nervous.

***

Servalan had been picking up information from all the units under her command, and knew the invaders were retreating, missions apparently accomplished. There was only one last chance of getting Avon.

She activated her comm again, reaching Travis's central control. "Signal the Amagon."  
 

***

Bekhesh's second clipped a small device to his ear, and listened impassively. 

Vila looked at him. "Hey! What are you doing!" He moved closer, trying to see what the device was.

The Amagon grabbed Vila, twisting his arm behind his back, and shoving a gun in his spine. Blake growled, and stepped away from the controls, but the Amagon shook his head. "Unless you want two useless half-thieves, you'll stay back." He raised his voice and spoke to someone who wasn't on the flight deck, "Kurz, release The Web."

"No!" Blake shouted, and took half a step forward before _Liberator_ slammed to a halt.  
   
On the satellite Tarrant and Cally paused to stare at a monitor showing the _Liberator_ ensnared. "How the hell did that happen?" Tarrant asked.

Cally shook her head. "We'll deal with it after we get Avon."

***

Avon was walking slowly, only moving because Travis kept prodding him with the rifle. He was trapped, trapped in his mind, with not-Servalan, who was ripping and tearing at his brain. 

A group of troopers and guards appeared around the corner in front of them. Avon stood there, wavering, looking blankly at them.  "Go away, you're not real. Electron... tronically induced... nightmare..."

Servalan waved her troopers to stillness, and walked slowly towards Avon.

Travis shook Avon's arm. "Move!"

 Not-Servalan was still harassing Avon in his mind, blinding him to reality. _You'll never get away from me, Avon. Never._ "No! Go away, Servalan!" Avon shouted.

"Move it!" Travis tried to drag Avon with him to the cover of a small room on the left side of the corridor, but Avon refused to budge. 

Atlan shouted, "Servalan!", pushed Avon towards the alcove to the left, and darted to the right himself. Avon staggered, but barely moved, still out in the center of the corridor.

Servalan said urgently, "Don't shoot Avon! I need him alive."

Atlan shouted again, "Avon! Get back!"  
   
_There's no escape, Avon... no escape._

Next to Servalan, Travis's lead guard raised a large pulse pistol. 

"No!" Atlan shouted. He ran back into the middle of the corridor, slamming a shoulder into Avon, forcing him to stagger over to Travis in the alcove. Atlan took the shot meant for Avon, and was blown off his feet.

Servalan turned to the guard, furious.

Avon grabbed Travis's rifle and stepped back into the center of the corridor. "No!" he screamed, and shot the guard.

Travis yelled, "Let's go! We have a deal, Avon!"

From the floor Atlan mumbled, "flaggin' 'ell...'

Avon's eyes shifted to look at him. _Leave him, Avon. Go to Servalan._ Avon hung onto the rifle, but the aim wavered.

Travis urged, "Come on!"

_Leave him. Come to me. Come. Come._

Avon gasped and put his other hand up to brace his gun arm, aiming it at Servalan. His face went white with the effort, but his finger refused to tighten on the trigger.

Travis shouted, "Avon!"

Avon lowered the gun, letting it dangle from his hand. He was barely on his feet, blood trickling from his nose, staring blankly ahead as Servalan moved slowly toward him. 

_There's no escape, Avon. There's no escape. No escape._

"Take me to _Liberator!"_ Travis yelled.

 _No escape,  Avon, there's no escape._  
   
"Damn you, Avon. I won’t die with you!" Travis snarled, and fled, running back the way they had come. The troopers fired at him, but because of Servalan's orders, they didn't dare come near Avon. Travis made excellent use of Avon as a shield, escaping around a corner.

Servalan continued stalking Avon, slowly, her eyes fixed on his blank gaze. Avon watched her, expressionlessly.

Tarrant and Cally appeared at the far end of the corridor. Instantly sizing up the situation, Tarrant ran forward, blasting away with the hand-cannon, Cally at his side, efficiently slaughtering troopers with her weapons. Servalan's troopers fell back while returning fire, with her retreating angrily along with them. Avon still stood blank-faced in the middle of the corridor, handicapping both sides. Cally and Tarrant kept up the momentum, driving the troopers and guards back. They had seen on the monitors what had happened to the last group to take on Cally and Tarrant, and were reluctant to share their fate.

Tarrant got to Avon, and knelt beside Atlan to check on him, while Cally used her hip to give Avon a half-throw that sent him staggering into the alcove to the left. Tarrant followed, dragging Atlan.

Atlan groaned, "Speed... you promised... my Space Rats..."

"I'll see that they get it, Atlan," Tarrant vowed.

Atlan smiled and slumped, dead.  
   
Reinforcements arrived for Servalan. Cally glanced out. "I hope you get to keep your promise, Tarrant. They're on both sides. We're trapped."

***

Dayna and Stark reached the shuttle, only to find no one else there. Dayna used the ship's comm, thinking perhaps there was something wrong with the ones Stark had made. "Vila. Vila! Why don't you answer?! Vila?"

***

Cally frowned. She had spoken briefly with Atlan's second in command, a woman with mad eyes who thought Cally was sexually appealing. Cally had been hard-pressed to politely turn her down, and even now, she could almost _feel_ the lascivious gropings of the woman's mind. Almost. The woman must be close. Perhaps she had joined the invasion of the depository. Cally reached out with her mind.

***

"You're breaking my arm!" Vila whimpered.

The Amagon didn't slacken his grip. "I'm sorry about this, but Servalan will kill me if I don't hold _Liberator_ for her." Streaks of light flashed on the main monitor, and the Amagon ships using force fields to hold The Web around _Liberator_ exploded in a string, like firecrackers, incinerating The Web along with themselves.. A Space Chopper slowed to visibility in front of _Liberator,_ did a victory roll, and then accelerated to invisibility again.

"No!" The Amagon shouted, lifting both hands to protest. Blake had been concentrating on him, and lunged forward with terrifying speed, bracing one arm around the man's shoulders, and put his other forearm under the Amagon's chin. Blake grunted with a brief effort, and there was a sickening snap. Blake let the body drop to the deck.

***

Pinned down, Cally kept trying to contact _Liberator._ "Vila? Blake? We could use some assistance."

Tarrant was too busy using the hand cannon to keep their opponents at a distance to use his own comm, but he shouted, "Now would be good!"

Avon had slid down against the far wall of the alcove. He blinked and looked at the blood dripped on his hand from his nosebleed, staring at it in complete confusion.

Blake's voice came over Cally's comm "Cally! The Web is gone. How can we help?"

Cally thought hard for a moment. "You still have the hologram running?"

"Yes."

"What runs parallel to the internal corridors?"

Vila scrambled to rotate the hologram. "Looks like reverse pressurization chambers."

"Where do they lead?"  
   
"To the depository."

Cally smiled. "Perfect. Blake?"

"Yes."

"Have you been in contact with Dayna and Stark?"

"Yes, I spoke to them just before you. They're in the shuttle." Despite the tension of the moment, Blake sounded amused. "Dayna's complaining; she's out of ammunition."

Cally smiled. "She does get enthusiastic. Tell them to take off in the shuttle and return to _Liberator._ I want you to target on my comm Destroy the depository when we reach it and I give you the signal."

"What?" Vila yelped, "You'll all be killed!" 

"We'll be safe," Cally assured him. "Just give us two minutes and obviously, try not to hit my signal with a direct strike."

***

Servalan irritably stepped over a corpse and frowned in concentration.

 _Avon._ Avon twitched as the non-Servalan called his name. _You want the implant removed._

Cally said, "Follow me."

"Follow you where?" Tarrant asked, looking at the enemy at either end of the  corridor.

"Here." Cally grabbed the hand cannon from him and blasted at a grating covering one of the service conduits across from their position, completely demolishing it. "We'll go into the depository and hide in a container. That should protect us from _Liberator's_ attack."  
   
"Should?!" Tarrant protested.

"I'm open to any other suggestions."

"Well..." Tarrant looked at the troopers inching closer on both sides. "Brilliant plan, Cally. I love it."

Avon got to his knees. "Cally, I'm...ah...I'm going to Servalan."  
   
"No, you aren't." Cally chopped Avon on the neck, and he keeled over, unconscious. "Carry him, Tarrant."  
   
Tarrant heaved Avon over his shoulder with a grunt and followed Cally into the corridor. She blasted away with the hand-cannon, while Tarrant used a smaller gun to pick them off. Not many blasts were aimed his way, as the troopers were still afraid to displease Servalan by risking Avon's life. They made it into the service conduit and raced along it, Tarrant barely slowed by Avon's weight.

***

Cally shouted, "This way!" She stopped at a control console, and tried to key open the door in front of them. "Locked!"

"What?!"

Cally lifted the hand cannon and fired at the door. "It was locked." They ran in through the smoking ruins of the door, and headed for the nearest open container. It was already nearly filled with large white crates, but was so large that even the small proportion of empty space available was more than enough for all three of them.

***

On _Liberator,_ the countdown was running. Vila had his finger over the firing button. "Zen, raise the Radiation Flare Shields."

"Fifty seconds," Blake said, watching the monitors.

"Locking on now." Vila stuck out his tongue and concentrated on refining the coordinates to pin-point precision. "There."

***

Inside the deposit box, Cally helped ease Avon down from Tarrant's shoulder.

***

Alone in a corridor, Servalan stepped over a body, looking more infuriated than frightened.

***

"Thirty."

***

Tarrant sealed up the box, then sat down, putting his arms around both Cally and Avon.

***

"Twenty"

***

Servalan walked down the corridor.

***

"Nine"

***

Cally rubbed her shoulder where the weight of the hand cannon had bruised her.

***

"Six, five."

***

Tarrant looked up, still holding the hand cannon, half-expecting the enemy to open the box and attack.

***

"Four... three... two... one."

 _Liberator's_ guns opened fire, demolishing huge chunks of the satellite, chipping away at the areas surrounding the vault like someone biting an apple. With surgical precision, Vila cut the vault out, and deposit boxes floated free in space.

"Got them," Blake announced, locking onto Cally's signal. "Now, if I can only repeat Avon's trick." Vila opened _Liberator's_ cargo bay, and Blake maneuvered to catch the floating box.

***

_Liberator's_ cargo bay was filled with the white crates from the deposit box. All had been opened, revealing an assorted wealth of shiny, glittering, obviously valuable items. Vila sat on one of the piles of gems, crown stuck slantwise on his head, and fingers loaded down with rings.

He laughed. "Diamond floors and Vila's Royal Mounties... I can have anything I want now. Can't I! Can't we all," he added generously.

Tarrant and Cally shrugged. Dayna picked up a golden statuette of a bird, then set it back down on the pile. "Yes, of course, Vila. Anything your heart desires." She sounded totally uninterested.

Vila said, "Oh, don't be like them, Dayna. Don't take all the fun out of it. We did it! This isn't like before. This won't eat the ship, so cheer up. We got Avon back, and Blake! And we're rich!"  
   
Dully, Dayna said, "Yes, it's all perfect."

Tarrant said, "Atlan and Bekhesh are dead."

"So? They knew the risks. And aren't we giving a generous share to their friends?" Vila frowned. "Even after the Amagons betrayed us."

Tarrant said softly, "And what of Avon?"

***

Avon stood in his quarters, talking to himself. "If pi R squared is equal to the inverse of a discrete polygonal, what is the colour of logic?"

Blake walked into the room. "Avon."

"But on the other hand, and what shall I do with the other hand...nature abhors a vacuum, which is why warg-stranglers are hairy."

"I've come to thank you, Avon. For saving me."

Avon picked up the white king from his chess set with both hands, frowning in concentration as he tried to put it on the board. "The time has come, the walrus said... to talk of many things... of shoes and ships, and sealing wax... of cabbages and kings." The chess-piece fell from his shaking hands, joining the rest of the fallen pieces scattered across the board surrounding a _Liberator_ hand-gun. The only chess piece that remained standing was the black queen.

"Avon?" Blake moved closer.

Avon tried once more to put the white king in place. "I weep for you, the walrus said; I deeply sympathize." _Avon Avon Avon Avon._   "Shut up!" _Avon Avon Avon._  
   
Blake put his hands on Avon's shoulders and Avon finally noticed him. "She's..." _Avon Avon Avon Avon._ "She's ... still here..." He tapped his forehead. "And... she blames me. She blames me for Servalan's death... and...so..." Avon looked away from Blake, down at the table. "I've been... I've been trying to, to... but I can't. I can't...she won't let me..."  
   
Blake gripped the sides of Avon's face, forcing him to look at Blake. "To what, Avon? What are you trying to do?"

_To what? To what, Avon?_

Avon looked at Blake, and his voice was calm as his mental fog lifted for a moment. "Blake, kill me. Please. Kill me."

Blake stared into Avon's desperate eyes, and stroked his cheek.


End file.
